$6 million for early intervention project in NSW

ADHC press release 30th January 2013

Minister for Disability Services Andrew Constance has announced a $6 million investment in early childhood intervention.

Services receiving the additional funds will be supported by Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) NSW Chapter in partnership with Ageing, Disability and Home Care to implement the Early Childhood Intervention Inclusion Project.

"This funding will lay the groundwork for the NSW Government's vision that children with disability aged 0 - 8 years and their families receive supports addressing their needs in a holistic and integrated way, with little distinction between specialist and mainstream providers," Mr Constance said.

"This funding will support the disability sector to reorientate their services and practices, working more closely with mainstream services, with a view to developing an integrated and seamless service system. The funding will provide places for 965 children and their families over two years."

It is estimated that in NSW, 1.7 per cent or 13,388 children aged 0 - 8 have additional needs. As well as providing additional places to those being funded under Stronger Together 2, the inclusion project will help to build a more sustainable service system for the future.

This project will look at innovative models for building the capacity of mainstream early childhood services to support families who have a child with disability, developing partnerships between disability and mainstream providers, and providing more choices for families in how and where they access support.