Jo and Emily take By Five to Canberra!

Last week Jo and Emily made the trek to Canberra to attend the Regional Australia Institute National Summit – ‘The New Frontier’. They joined people from across Australia to listen, talk and learn about how we can continue to push for our rural and regional communities to be sustainable and thriving places to live.

Topics ranged from housing to energy, health to education, and plenty in between. It was great to hear the need for childcare frequently referred to throughout the summit, and served as a reminder of the importance of highlighting quality education and child outcomes as a key component of childcare, as well as the opportunity for women to participate in the workforce.

Alongside our partners from North Central LLEN and Regional Development Australia - Grampians, Jo had the opportunity to meet with Ministers to discuss ECEC from a rural perspective. A highlight was meeting with Georgie Dent from the Parenthood and Jacqui Emery form Royal Far West – two organisations that By Five work closely with to improve outcomes for our WSM children. These in-person conversations are so valuable and provide opportunities to discuss and strengthen our continued collaboration going forward.

 A busy and productive few days in the Capital, but it’s always lovely returning home to the Wimmera skies and the By Five office!