Councils make a significant contribution in helping families to raise their children. All councils build and maintain facilities used by local communities for children's activities and services.

Councils also invest in community activities to increase social connections and create learning opportunities for children and their parents. Services may include:

• Child care: long day care, occasional care, family day care, after school care
• Neighbourhood and community houses
• Playgroups and toy libraries
• Kindergarten programs, buildings and central enrolment services
• Maternal and Child Health centres provide regular check-ups for all babies from birth – six years, parenting advice and support, new parent groups
• Immunisations: delivered through schools, workplaces and free community sessions.

Learn more about

• Kindergarten 15 hours per week fair funding campaign

Did you know?

Councils help families get the best start in life by…

• Conducting over 827,000 maternal and child health consultations with families
• Providing more than 1,000 buildings for kindergarten programs
• Delivering more than 306,000 immunisations for preschool and secondary school children.