Council adopts Draft Municipal Early Years Plan 2021 - 2025

Published on 06 August 2021

Frankston City Councillors recently voted unanimously to adopt the Draft Municipal Early Years Plan 2021 – 2025 following extensive community consultation.

South Ward Cr Claire Harvey said: “Children are our future – the Plan is a holistic and robust roadmap for enabling best outcomes for families with children up to six years in the municipality, demonstrating a whole-of-Council commitment to the early years in Frankston City.”

Cr Harvey said a six monthly progress and monitoring of the Plan will be undertaken, adding: “The Plan will support Council to deliver its services, programs and infrastructure with a focus on promoting a healthy and safe community, resilient families, positive early childhood development and social inclusion and engagement for families.”

North East Ward Cr David Asker said childhood is a stage of life where intervention can have the greatest impact and investment has the greatest return.

Cr Asker said: “A Frankston City wide focus on children through the Plan will ensure the delivery of local programs and infrastructure that can improve the health, education and wellbeing of our younger population and their families.

“We’re proud that the majority of children in Frankston City are growing up happy and healthy in safe, nurturing and secure environments. However, we take it seriously that there are some children still growing up in disadvantage.

“So we’ve introduced ambitious ‘indicators of wellbeing’ to track progress and understand what success looks like. Given Frankston City’s consistent birth rate and the increasing number of families who choose to reside here, this success is critical,” Cr Asker said.

Cr Asker added: “Council’s vision for children and families over the next four years is to ensure that every child in Frankston City can have the best start in life, is given a voice and has the opportunities to learn, develop and reach their full potential.”