By CASEY NEILL
A GREATER Dandenong playgroup program has won a $15,000 prize.
The Victorian Early Years Awards nod for Family Health in Playgroups went to the Mums and Bubs Group.
City of Greater Dandenong, South East Melbourne Medicare Local, Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-operative Limited and AMES run the project.
The project was a pilot aimed to support vulnerable families to access community services, and reached 298 children from 244 families.
A Maternal Child and Health nurse attended 15 playgroups three times each across 33 weeks to provide information and referral pathways.
“These visits led to a range of productive, informal and formal discussions with families about child-focused issues, including healthy eating, child development, breastfeeding, sun smart, dental health and kinder enrolments,” a council spokeswoman said.
The Victorian Early Years Awards are in their 10th year and recognise early childhood professionals, programs and partnerships that have made a difference to Victorian families.
Winners in each category received $15,000 towards developing their program.
Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos said the winners were innovative services boosting the health and happiness of Victorian kids and supporting the state’s most vulnerable families.
