The Rudd Government will deliver on its election commitment to spend $32.5 million over five years on a program to help disadvantaged children aged three to five years prepare for school.
The Home Interaction program will be delivered, in partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, to 50 disadvantaged communities across Australia.
The Home Interaction program will give disadvantaged children a better start in life by supporting parents to improve their children’s school readiness.
The two-year program provides home tutors, books and educational resources to help parents prepare their children for the transition to school.
The Home Interaction program has been successfully trialled and used in countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany and Israel.
The Brotherhood of St Laurence has valuable experience in working with parents to ensure their children are school ready, particularly in the areas of literacy, numeracy and learning skills. They currently operate the Home Interaction program in six Victorian communities.
Early intervention initiatives like the Home Interaction program can, in the long term, increase school retention rates and employment opportunities, and develop work readiness and leadership skills in participating parents.