Aboriginal children in Adelaide’s northern suburbs are set to benefit from a new program that will help connect families and their children with the right services.  

Adelaide’s first Connected Beginnings program has been established at the Kaurna Plains Children’s Centre, with a $1.8 million grant from the federal government

There are two other Connected Beginnings centres in South Australia, in Ceduna and Port Augusta.

The programme is for children from birth to 8 years of age and aims to increase community education, raise awareness of support options and link services to identified gaps in the community.

"The Kaurna Plains Community is very excited and are feeling positive about the Connected Beginnings program being placed here, and look forward to greater hopeful Connected Beginnings being placed here will lead to greater outcomes for Aboriginal families in the Salisbury and Playford area, “ said Kaurna Plains Children’s Centre director, Mary Oberer.

“We are eager to establish the Connected Beginnings team and begin the work to build on and strengthen integration of services and pathways for children and families.”

Aboriginal people have guided the process of identifying the location for this program and will continue to lead and guide have a say in how activities funded by the grant are delivered to their people, in their own places and on their own country. 

Around a thousand Aboriginal children in Adelaide's northern suburbs  are expected to benefit from the program.