First 5 Forever gives Moreton Bay children a great start
The Palaszczuk Government announced $26,564 for Moreton Bay Regional Council to present First 5 Forever early literacy programs.
Member for Murrumba, Steven Miles said the funding will encourage greater engagement with the program and the community.
“Moreton Bay Regional Council will offer the My First Library Card initiative to increase engagement with First 5 Forever programming in local libraries,” he said.
“The council will introduce families of newborns to First 5 Forever with information at hospitals, encouraging them to visit their local libraries,” he said.
Member for Pine Rivers, Nikki Boyd said this is a positive initiative for the community.
“The First 5 Forever program recognises the importance of literacy and language development in the first five years of a child’s life and provides families with information, resources and support to encourage them to talk, read, sing and play with children from birth,” she said.
Minister for the Arts, Leeanne Enoch said councils will share in $347,465 in grants as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s $20 million commitment to deliver the First 5 Forever program.
“First 5 Forever Innovation Grants totalling $284,465 will go to 18 councils for innovative and flexible projects delivered through their local libraries that support the development of language and literacy skills in babies and young children,” Ms Enoch said.
“An additional $63,000 will be distributed among five councils this year to support Community Literacy Champions to raise local awareness of the importance of early literacy and encourage families of children aged 0-5 to connect with library services.
“Since launching in 2015, First 5 Forever activities have attracted more than 2.5 million attendances in public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres across the state, contributing to the Queensland Government objective to give all our children a great start,” she said.
Moreton Bay Region Acting Mayor Mike Charlton said the launch of the My First Library Card initiative was great for the region.
“Kids grow up so quickly that it’s vital to make those first five years of learning count, not just for their education and development but also for the bonding time,” he said.
“I cherished story time with my kids and loved getting to do it all over again as a grandfather, so I really encourage local families to get to their local library to talk, read, sing and play every day.
“The First 5 Forever initiative gives families yet another reason to drop into our libraries, where you can access all the wonderful free support and resources available.”
State Librarian and Chief Executive Officer Vicki McDonald said the latest grant round demonstrated how councils were continuing to deliver innovative library services to their communities.
“It’s these creative approaches which help libraries ensure all families are welcome and receive free, inclusive support,” Ms McDonald said.
“State Library congratulates all grant recipients and is proud to work in partnership with more than 320 public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres across Queensland to advance early literacy and build a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.”
Read more about First 5 Forever and tips for making learning fun or contact your local public library or Indigenous Knowledge Centre to find out more about their programs.