School Readiness

School Readiness programs for kindergartens

School Readiness Funding supports government-funded kindergartens to improve children’s outcomes in communication, social and emotional wellbeing, and access and inclusion.

Bethany Community Support is an approved School Readiness provider, so we can deliver specialist programs to kindergarten providers in Victoria.

Kindergartens can purchase the programs we deliver through the Department of Education’s School Readiness Funding Menu. School Readiness funding is designed to ensure all children, regardless of their background and social vulnerability can reach their full potential and arrive at school ready to learn and thrive.

Bethany’s School Readiness Programs:

Working with Vulnerable Children

Bethany has developed a range of early childhood professional development packages designed for kindergarten educators working with vulnerable children:

Managing Anxiety in Children for Educators

Trauma-Informed Practice for Educators

Building Resilience in Children for Educators

Reflective Practice for Educators

The packages aim to strengthen and further develop the understanding and professional practice of educators to better support children who have experienced challenges, trauma and adversity.

Each training package includes theory, case examples and practical strategies to enhance educator skills.

All packages are designed to support educators to build resilience, promote recovery and optimise educational outcomes for all children, regardless of their background and social vulnerability, so that they can reach their full potential and arrive at school ready to learn and thrive.

Program cost 

$195 per person per program plus GST

• Each workshop is 3 hours in duration
• Workshop content can be modified to meet the needs of particular kindergartens/educators
• Workships can be delivered online via Zoom

For more information or to apply for the Working With Vulnerable Children – Professional Development packages contact us on:

Ph: 03 5278 8122

Email: schoolreadiness@bethany.org.au

School Readiness Funding Menu – Working with Vulnerable Children program page

Working with Vulnerable Children professional development packages brochure 

For more information or to apply for the Working With Vulnerable Children – Professional Development Packages contact us on:

Ph: 03 5278 8122

Email: schoolreadiness@bethany.org.au

Working With Vulnerable Children booking form

For module availability and session times please see term dates below:

Term 1 dates

Connect Up

Connect Up is Bethany’s early intervention program to identify and support under-resourced and isolated families with young children.

We deliver the Connect Up program in partnership with kindergartens, schools and community facilities. We work with educators to assist families to create a safe, supportive home environment for their children to thrive. This includes addressing each family’s particular vulnerabilities and supporting their wellbeing, access and inclusion in the kindergarten system. Connect Up aims to build the capacity of educators to support positive change for families attending their kindergartens, provide direct support to parents and improve educational outcomes for vulnerable children.

Connect Up workers are co-located in kindergartens to provide an accessible, integrated support service for families in a familiar and safe environment.

As part of the School Readiness Program, Connect Up is available in kindergartens for a minimum of two terms (period to be negotiated with kindergarten). The program is available to kindergartens in the Barwon and south west regions.

Indicative program cost:

The cost of the Connect Up program is based on a Family Services hourly rate of $125.50 (excl. GST) and a daily rate of $953.80 (excl. GST).

These costs include all staffing operations and management of the Connect Up worker to be co-located within a kindergarten site.

At a minimum, the Connect Up program can be delivered over 125 hours. The cost for this support is $19,074 (excl. GST).

Please contact Bethany for further information regarding the program cost and service delivery components that can be tailored for you.

For more information:

School Readiness Funding Menu – Connect Up program page

Connect Up brochure

Bethany website – Connect Up program page

Family Information Sessions

When families, early childhood services, schools and communities work together, the ‘whole child’ is supported to reach their full learning potential.

Along with the professional development packages designed for kindergarten educators, in 2022 Bethany Community Support have also developed workshops designed for families of the children attending 4 y/o programs. These workshops are designed to encourage a holistic approach and promote collaboration between families and educators, as well as assisting to ease family anxieties on transitioning into school.

Bethany’s Family Information Workshops include:

• Positive Approaches to Guiding Children’s Behaviour
• Building Independence and Fostering Resilience
• School Readiness and Positive Transitions

Program cost 

$450 per workshop plus GST

• Workshops can be offered in the evening
• Each workshop is 1.5 hours in duration
• Workshop content can be modified to meet the needs of particular kindergartens/educators
• Workships can be delivered online via Zoom

For more information or to apply for the Family Information Sessions contact us on:
Ph: 03 5278 8122
Email: schoolreadiness@bethany.org.au

Family Information Sessions brochure

Family Information Sessions booking form

How to access this service

For more information or to apply for one of our school readiness programs contact us on:

Ph: 03 5278 8122 
Email: schoolreadiness@bethany.org.au

We can provide a personalised quote for your kindergarten.

Frequently asked questions