The Miles Government is Putting Queensland Kids First

• A new draft plan has been released today to give Queensland kids the best start in life 
• It is a blueprint for delivering better outcomes for children and families through early intervention
• The draft plan will be co-designed with experts and parents and carers
• ‘Putting Queensland Kids First’ is open for community consultation and Queenslanders are encouraged to have their say.

The Miles Labor Government has released the draft Putting Queensland Kids First: Giving our kids the opportunity of a lifetime strategy today.

The strategy is designed to ensure all Queensland children are given the best start in life through more access to essential services.

The draft plan prioritises early interventions to enhance outcomes in:

• health, wellbeing and development
• access to education, training and employment
• secure and affordable housing
• safety and connection for  families and the community
•  reframed relationships to empower First Nations peoples.

Putting Queensland Kids First is a comprehensive strategy to drive better outcomes for Queensland children through targeted early intervention and prevention.

It builds on our investment in Free Kindy, and our $288 million package to support educational engagement for a range of students, including by expanding the successful Queensland Pathways State College and FlexiSpaces in schools for students unable to be in the classroom.

Queensland children who are financially and socially disadvantaged or from lower income households are more likely to experience hardship and have poorer social outcomes.

Research shows adverse childhood experiences such as poverty, family violence, disrupted access to healthcare or education, parental mental illness or substance misuse can result in a higher risk of contact with the youth justice system.

The plan will be co-designed by experts, as well as parents and carers. Community consultation is being sought on the proposed investment priorities and opportunities. Queenslanders are invited to have their say on the draft plan here: https://www.qld.gov.au/putting-qld-kids-first.

Quotes attributable to the Premier Steven Miles:

“I believe all Queensland kids deserve to have the best start in life, no matter their postcode, background or the amount of money in their parent’s bank account. 

“My government is Putting Queensland Kids First.

“We are a government committed to giving our young people the very best chance in life – through good education, jobs and the right support early in life.

“The plan will be informed by the experts, but we also want to hear from mums and dads. That’s why we are undertaking consultation and I encourage all Queenslanders to have their say.

“We’re already making record investments in health and education for young Queenslanders - free Kindy for all Queensland children began this week.

“Community safety is a core government responsibility, and how better to deliver safer communities than help Queensland children stay on the right track.

“A great start can mean a great future. This new early intervention package is designed to make sure Queensland children and young people have the best possible start in life by remaining connected to education and achieving healthy outcomes.

“Putting Queensland Kids First recognises early intervention and prevention services are extraordinarily powerful in improving outcomes and breaking cycles of disadvantage.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Education and Youth Justice Di Farmer: 

“We know that early childhood experiences have a significant influence on a young person’s life trajectory which is why the early years are a key opportunity for preventative and early intervention support.

“Putting Queensland Kids First is about setting young Queenslanders on positive and healthy pathways through education, skills and employment, and diverting people from pathways that may lead to offending.

“Prioritising our young Queenslanders is one of the best investments for the long-term health, wellbeing, safety and prosperity of our community.

“First Nations children are twice as likely to be vulnerable and they continue to have shortfalls in literacy and numeracy and this draft package offers a brighter future.’

“The Queensland Government has already announced a $288 million package of youth engagement initiatives aimed at supporting at-risk students.

“A further investment of $167.2 million over four years will support initiatives to eliminate the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system.”

Key components of the proposed package include:

• Wellbeing from conception and the earliest years of life – ensuring children are born healthy, raised strong in their families, and are supported to meet developmental milestones so they have the right foundations for lifelong wellbeing;
• Supporting families and strengthening communities – strengthening families and communities and responding to the needs of parents, caregivers and kin to create the best conditions for children and young people’s health and wellbeing;
• Identifying and responding to needs for healthy development and positive life courses – supporting young Queenslanders’ healthy development through the earliest possible access to appropriate needs identification and targeted interventions;
• Supporting confident transitions into learning, education and training – encouraging confident transitions from home to early childhood settings, to school and across key phases of learning to set strong foundations for future learning and pathways;
• Partnering for integrated, place-based, and First Nations-led delivery – building collaborative partnerships with non-government organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to address local needs.

ENDS

Media contact – Emilia Hutchinson (Premier's Office) - 0437 060 435 

Gary Shipway (Minister Farmer's Office) - 0458 090 906