Our shared purpose is to support confident and creative children to thrive in strong, connected communities.

We work towards achieving this through:

1. Funding places in quality early learning centres (up to 960 hours per year for each child).
2. Delivering holistic support to children and families to help them address barriers to participation.
3. Providing tailored support for children to learn, make friends and build confidence to set themselves up for a great life.
4. Fostering supportive connections to help parents and carers through the transition from home to early learning and then in to Kindergarten.
5. Building the capacity of early childhood educators involved, through investment in professional learning and ongoing practice support. This ensures educators can best support the needs of the children and families involved in the program.

As well as free early learning, Working Together provides extra support. This can be either for the child or their family.

Examples of extra support include:

• connecting families with other support services, e.g. health providers
• attending appointments with families
• assisting with transport to get children to the early childhood service
• linking families with their local primary school
• identifying areas of interest for parents to develop themselves further, e.g. study or getting a driver licence

The Working Together team works in partnership with families. This supports them to build on their strengths and achieve their goals.

To take part in Working Together, children must be:

• Three years old on or before 1^st of January in the year they will take part
• In their year before Kindergarten
• Not currently enrolled with an early childhood education and care service (sometimes known as childcare) 

Children must also meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Have parents/primary carers who hold a Health Care Card
• Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• Receive support or interventions from the Child Safety Service
• Have two or more concerns identified through the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS)

With the parent or carer’s consent, Working Together accepts referrals from any service currently supporting a family. 

Referrals must be made via our online referral form.

Following a great response from parents, carers, and community partners, Working Together has received a large number of referrals for 2023. The program’s Engagement Workers are now working through these to finalise placements for 2023, with limited spaces remaining.

As a result, as of 5th December 2022, Working Together will continue to accept, and confirm we have received, new referrals for 2023. However, full family engagement will not occur unless a placement is available. Where a space is, or becomes available, Working Together Engagement Workers will directly contact families on the waitlist in that area to further discuss their child’s referral.

If you have any questions or need extra support with a referral, please contact one of the Working Together Engagement Workers. You can call, text or email an Engagement Worker in your region. They will be happy to discuss things further with you.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services deliver Working Together. For 2023, we have partnered with 19 ECEC services across Tasmania.

These early learning partners are integral to Working Together achieving the best outcomes for children and their families.

Please view the list of our early learning partners.

Working Together is a great way for children to:

• Make friends
• Play and thrive
• Build confidence and independence
• Learn and try new things
• Prepare for school

Supporting young children improves their health and wellbeing throughout their lives.

Working Together is a chance for parents and carers to:

• Connect with other families and their community
• Have time for self-care
• Have time to pursue areas of interest

Eligible families can start to take part from February 2023.

To discuss opportunities of getting involved with Working Together, please contact us:

• Email wt@decyp.tas.gov.au
• Direct message on Facebook