Early Start Initiative: additional Early Childhood Intervention funding

The NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care has announced additional funding for early childhood intervention services that some families of children with Down syndrome might access:

Early Start initiative will

• provide an extra $3 million to expand early childhood intervention services to a further 375 young children who have a disability
• comprise an initial $2 million this financial year under the EarlyStart initiative to provide support for a further 250 children aged up to six years
• includes 30 places for Aboriginal children and 20 places as part of a project to trial arrangements for more individualised support
• has a preventative focus aimed at promoting the well-being and resilience of children with a disability
• will focus on priority locations and population groups across the State where the most need has been identified
• will be managed by experienced not-for-profit organisations that have the capacity to deliver quality early childhood intervention support
• will provide another $1 million in 2010-2011 for places for a further 125 children under Early Start.

Click here for the full text of the Minister's media release (24/09/2008) on the Early Start Initiative. Media releases on the breakdown of Early Start funding for particular regions are available here

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