The CAHS report details its involvement in Armadale West’s highly successful Welcome Baby to Country events and how the community plan co-designed with the EYP is driving investment and change through the service in the local health and care systems.

Armadale West is one of four communities in WA that’s part of the EYP, alongside Derby (including the communities of Mowanjum and Pandanus Park), Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community and the Central Great Southern (including the Shires of Katanning, Kojonup, Gnowangerup and Broomehill-Tambellup).

The CAHS Annual Report 2023–24 is a point in time document which covers 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. Since 30 June 2024, the Telethon Kids Institute has rebranded as The Kids Research Institute Australia, and a 12 month timeframe was confirmed for the intensive nurse home visiting initiative (to June 2025) which will support consumer consultation and program development but not an implementation phase.

You can read the CAHS Annual Report in full here: CAHS 2023 – 2024 Annual Report where you’ll find Armadale West featured as part of the “In Our Community” section on page 71.

 

Improving wellbeing and school readiness for our youngest children

CACH is engaging with community groups in Early Years Partnership (EYP) activities in Armadale West to better support children, young people and families in this region.

Formerly the Early Years Initiative, the EYP is a 10-year partnership (2018–2028) between the Departments of Communities (project lead), Education and Health, the Minderoo Foundation, Telethon Kids Institute (research and evidence partner) and 4 communities, including Armadale West.

The EYP also has strong partnerships with local Aboriginal community-controlled organisations via the Australian Government’s Connected Beginnings program.

The EYP aims to improve the wellbeing and school readiness of children aged zero to 4 years in the 4 communities and in doing so, learn what it takes to create change for all Western Australian children.

The CACH Aboriginal Health team has held community events in the Armadale West region and has provided child health and immunisation services from the Champion Centre throughout 2023.

Key achievements in 2023–24:

In response to Armadale West’s community co-designed EYP Community Plan, the EYP awarded CACH $3.4 million over the coming 4 financial years to:

  • increase the number of child health checks, particularly for children aged one and 2 years
  • pilot an intensive nurse home visiting program for vulnerable families
  • increase data use to identify families and help ensure child health checks are delivered in the region, starting in July 2024.

These projects demonstrate our commitment to:

  • accelerate action on Closing the Gap Target 4, to increase to 55 per cent the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children assessed as developmentally on track in all 5 domains of the Australian Early Development Census
    progress Recommendation 8 of the WA Sustainable Health Review, which outlines 8 enduring strategies and 30 recommendations to improve the WA public health service.

Myself and my partner think it is very important that our children learn about their culture and a know where they come from. I think it gives them a firm foot on the ground for their future.

– Welcome Baby to Country event, Champion Lakes

Source – https://cahs.health.wa.gov.au/about-us/annual-reports

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet, work and live, and recognise their continuing connection and care to land, water and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.