April & May 2024

As the Autumn leaves have been putting on a stunning display in the region and the farmers have been sowing the seeds of what they hope will be a fruitful harvest come the warmer months; we here at By Five have been as busy as ever.

A lot has been happening in the ECEC space since our presentation to the Productivity Commission, including the launch of the federal government’s Early Years Strategy. A thought-provoking discussion was held in Birchip last week with a small group of rural school principals around ECEC and the connection with schools. We look forward to continuing these conversations with our partners at the Country Education Partnership and North Central LLEN.

Exciting new projects are underway, such as our collaboration with True South Film, who are bringing the story of our Paediatric Project to life in video format. May also saw our dedicated Royal Children’s Hospital Paediatricians once again make the journey from Melbourne, to immerse themselves in the communities of the Wimmera, visiting some of the places and people that make up our region.

By Five have also partnered with local schools and kindergartens to hear from children, ‘what does kindness mean to them?’. We are excited to progress this work in collaboration with our partners at the Centre for Community Child Health. The abundance of drawings and answers from local children really demonstrate that small actions can have a big impact on a child’s day, and so we leave you with a thought…  

 
-what’s something small you can do to make a child smile today?