Wyndham council initiatives that are making a difference in the lives of children and families have won Victorian Early Years Awards.
The Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program, which is run at Wyndham’s 23 kindergartens, won the Improving Access and Participation in Early Learning award.
The council’s learning city portfolio holder Josh Gilligan said the program had increased the participation of Aboriginal children in kindergarten by 70 per cent across five years.
The council’s Maternal and Child Health services was also recognised for its work in the Healthy Happy Beginnings for Refugee Mothers and Babies program, which is led by the Murdoch Research Institute.
The program won the Creating Collaborative Community Parnerships award.
Cr Mia Shaw said the program had been delivered to more than 100 women.
It is aimed at Karen women from Burma and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and the months after, and involves a team of midwives, a maternal and child health nurse, an interpreter and a bicultural worker.
“This program highlights what can be achieved when a collaborative approach is used to deliver health care and support during pregnancy,” Cr Shaw said.
Winners in each category of the awards received between $10,000 and $15,000 to go towards enhancing their work.
