Strengthening School Readiness Across Victoria

The early years of life lay the foundation for lifelong learning, wellbeing and development. Supporting children during this critical stage requires strong partnerships between educators, families and the services that surround them.

Through the School Readiness Funding initiative, Kids First Australia works alongside kindergarten educators across Victoria to strengthen children’s development and wellbeing in the years before school. The program provides coaching, professional learning and therapeutic expertise that help educators respond to children’s diverse developmental needs and build inclusive learning environments where every child can thrive.

By strengthening educator capability, the program supports children to transition to school feeling confident, secure and ready to learn.

 

Building stronger early learning environments

Kids First Australia delivers six School Readiness Funding programs across Victoria, working directly with educators and services to strengthen their capacity to support children’s social, emotional and developmental needs.

This work reflects Kids First’s broader commitment to early intervention supporting children and families before challenges escalate and ensuring early learning environments are equipped to respond to the diverse experiences children bring with them.

The organisation’s training model combines:

• trauma-informed practice
• child development expertise
• practical coaching and mentoring
• flexible training tailored to service needs

These approaches help educators embed inclusive and responsive practices that strengthen children’s confidence, wellbeing and readiness for learning.

 

Growing demand for early years training

Demand for trauma-informed and developmentally informed training continues to grow across the early childhood sector.

While Kids First’s School Readiness Funding work is established across Victoria, services in other states are also beginning to seek out the organisation’s training expertise. In New South Wales, early childhood services have already accessed Kids First training through privately funded arrangements.

As governments and services increasingly recognise the importance of early intervention, there is growing opportunity to expand this work therefore, strengthening educator capability and improving outcomes for children and families across Australia.

 

Sharing knowledge across the sector

Recently, Kids First Australia’s early years expertise was shared with the broader sector through two professional learning sessions led by Noha Elhanafy and Shelley Fallowfield.

The team presented to more than 100 educators and sector professionals at a forum hosted by One Tree Early Childhood Services, exploring trauma-informed approaches that strengthen children’s wellbeing and readiness for school.

Shelley also delivered professional development to 100 Early Childhood Early Intervention Coordinators from Latrobe Community Health Service, an NDIS partner delivering services across Victoria and New South Wales. The session brought together allied health and education specialists to explore practical strategies that support children’s development and strengthen school readiness.

Moments like these reflect the growing role Kids First is playing in strengthening early learning environments beyond individual services contributing knowledge, practice insights and training that support the wider sector.

 

Meet the team supporting School Readiness Funding

Jodi Spratling, Director, Early Childhood Education and Care
Jodi provides leadership across Kids First’s early childhood portfolio, guiding programs that strengthen educator capability and improve outcomes for children and families.

 

Shelley Fallowfield, Early Years Model Lead
Shelley supports the development of evidence-informed approaches that strengthen early childhood systems and services. Her work focuses on early intervention, attachment and building practical tools that help educators and services support children and families experiencing vulnerability.

 

Noha Elhanafy, Social Worker and School Readiness Coordinator
Noha works alongside preschool educators to support children’s successful transition to school. With qualifications in early childhood education and social work, she integrates trauma-informed, culturally safe and inclusive approaches into early learning environments.

Drawing on her lived experience as a migrant, Noha works collaboratively with educators, families and community partners to ensure children from diverse backgrounds feel supported, valued and ready to learn.

 

Working together to strengthen early learning

Across Australia, early childhood services, local governments and community organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of strengthening children’s development and wellbeing before they start school.

Kids First Australia works in partnership with educators, councils, community services and sector leaders to share knowledge, build capability and support environments where children and families can thrive.

As the early childhood sector continues to evolve, collaboration across services and jurisdictions will remain essential to ensuring every child has the opportunity to begin school feeling confident, supported and ready to learn.