At the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on 2 October 2008, Australia's first National Partnership Agreement, the Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership Agreement, was signed as the next step to achieve the COAG Closing the Gap targets for Indigenous children.
The Three Elements of the National Partnership
All governments recognise that a shared commitment to improvements in Indigenous child mortality requires better access to antenatal care, teenage reproductive and sexual health services, child and maternal health services and integrated child and family services which focus on quality early learning, child care and parent and family support.
The National Partnership Agreement is split into three distinct elements:
| Managed by |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations (DEEWR) |
| Details |
This element will provide $292.6m to states and territories for the construction, refurbishment and service delivery of Children and Family Centres in the 35 targeted communities.
It will be managed by Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) with the family support requirements for each centre being provided by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). |
| Funding |
Total $292.6m over six years |
| Managed by |
Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) |
| Details |
This element will provide funding of $107m to States and Territories to improve access to, and use of, antenatal care by young Indigenous mothers. It will also support young Indigenous people to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
Locations for these services will focus on areas with significant numbers of young Indigenous people and high numbers of births to teenagers. This element will be managed by the Department of Health and Ageing. |
| Funding |
Total $107m over six years |
| Managed by |
Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) |
| Details |
This element will provide states and territories with Commonwealth funding of $90.3m to accompany their investment of $75m for maternal and child health services made under the existing New Directions (a DoHA program designed to expand Indigenous child and maternal health services) which commenced 1 January 2008.
Element three will increase access to antenatal, postnatal, child and maternal health services to Indigenous families, with an emphasis on early presentation, and regular visits throughout pregnancy (the minimum requirement is eight visits during pregnancy, with two in first trimester).
This element will be managed by the Department of Health and Ageing. |
| Funding |
$90.3m over six years plus $75m from New Directions
Total - $165.3m over six years |