Derby
Including the communities of Mowanjum and Pandanus Park.
Improving children’s wellbeing and school readiness in Derby
Derby is a town in the Western Australian Kimberley region, with the local EYP also including the communities of Mowanjum and Pandanus Park. These communities are the remote communities of the EYP.
At the 2021 Census, the town of Derby had a population of 3,322 (including approximately 217 children under the age of four) with 41.5 per cent of the community of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.
Along with Broome and Kununuura, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population of over 2,000, making it an important regional hub for community services.
Derby was selected due to the demonstration of interest and capacity to benefit, taking into consideration: A need for better outcomes for children 0-4 and their families, sufficiently broad and genuine interest within the community to achieve change, and a level of capacity to do so.
With a commitment to work differently with communities, the EYP is designed to deliver the support Derby families need to improve their children’s health, wellbeing and school readiness.
Key Community Priorities
The Derby EYP community and working group is committed to achieving the following outcomes for all.
Child development (Derby, Mowanjum, Pandanus Park)
To increase the number of children meeting developmental milestones and entering school developmentally ready.
Parent health and wellbeing (Derby, Pandanus Park)
To improve the health and wellbeing of parents to enable positive parenting practices.
Family safety (Derby, Mowanjum)
To reduce the number of children (aged 0-4) who have interactions with family and domestic violence.
Family financial wellbeing (Derby, Mowanjum, Pandanus Park)
Children aged 0-4 years live in households with an adequate standard of living.
Community service aspects (Derby, Mowanjum, Pandanus Park)
To provide a culturally safe and coordinated health and wellbeing system for families and children.
Community physical and social aspects (Derby, Mowanjum, Pandanus Park)
To create the physical and social infrastructure in the community that enables families to care for their children.
Child health (Mowanjum, Pandanus Park)
To improve the health of babies and children and to increase the proportion of children entering school who meet the developmental physical domain (AEDC).
Local Working Group
A new approach to co-designing, implementing, and evaluating the delivery of early childhood and family services.
The Early Years Partnership local working group oversees the development and implementation of a local community plan, aimed at improving children’s well-being and school readiness.
The community plan is a document that outlines the community’s priorities for achieving better outcomes for children and their families. The working group work together to provide specialist advice, local knowledge, and transparent decision-making, to inform the strategic and operational priorities of the EYP in Derby and ensure these are successfully achieved to meet the local need.
Through the EYP, families and communities are supported to identify what they need to help their children grow.
The group captures the voices of families, community members and service providers, including Government and not-for-profit services.
Other relevant stakeholders are invited to participate on an as-needed basis.
The local working group includes representatives from the following organisations:
- Ngunga Group Womens Aboriginal Corporation
- WA Country Health Service (WACHS)
- Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS)
- Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation
- Pandanus Park Aboriginal Corporation
- Department of Communities
- National Indigenous Australians Agency
- Shire of Derby West Kimberley
- Derby District High School
- Emama Nguda Aboriginal Corporation
- Holy Rosary School
Local Partner Organisations
Ngunga Women’s Group
Ngunga Women’s Group has been operating in the Derby region for over 30 years. Ngunga began in the late 80’s with a numeracy and literacy program to the Derby community and later an art activity called Ngunga Designs.
Since then we have grown, acquiring Government-funded programs to deliver and support indigenous and local families.
Derby Aboriginal Health Service
The Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS) commenced operations in December 1998. As an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation, the Health Service is committed to core principles including Aboriginal self-determination, access, equity, empowerment and reconciliation.
Our programs offer Derby community members culturally appropriate health, education, health promotion and clinical services.
Resources
Derby 2023 EYP Community Plan – Wirriya Dunyji Ooba Babanil Ingun (Happy Strong Small Children)
This community plan is the result of a co-design process with the Derby community involving a series of group model building workshops. This plan articulates the priorities identified by community members as critical factors to improving the wellbeing and school readiness of their children.
Contact EYP Derby
Jillian Hunter
Senior Community Engagement Officer, Early Years Partnership
+61 497 883 445
Jillian.Hunter@communities.wa.gov.au