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For communities

The primary aim of the AEDI is to provide data to help communities in the development and reorientation of services and systems to enable them to improve the health and wellbeing of young children.

There are a number of ongoing objectives. These include:

• Providing baseline data about how children in their area are faring in each of the developmental domains of the AEDI.
• Utilising the implementation process of the AEDI to assist in the development and strengthening of relationships between key agencies and stakeholders in the community.
• Facilitating community mobilisation and the development of forward planning and action, based on the results of the AEDI.
• Enabling communities to monitor progress on early childhood development outcomes.

There are three key phases for communities in the AEDI implementation process. These include:

Phase 1: AEDI Preparation Phase
Phase 2: AEDI Implementation Phase
Phase 3: Preparing for the Dissemination and Action Phase

State/Territory AEDI Coordinators will assist in facilitating national implementation of the AEDI. The AEDI National Support Centre also provides additional support throughout the whole AEDI process.

Read about the evaluation of the AEDI community implementation...

The AEDI preparation phase

One of the major findings from communities that have completed the AEDI in Australia is that communities are able to more easily implement the AEDI and respond to the AEDI findings when there is a strong community preparation phase before the AEDI is completed. Communities may already have collaborations in place such as early years initiative groups which will be helpful in supporting the AEDI process. Alternatively the process of the AEDI implementation can be a catalyst for communities to form collaborations that focus on early childhood development.

One of the major findings from the evaluations conducted in Australia and Canada is that local level champions can be a very important catalyst for raising awareness of the AEDI and for working with the community when the results are released. It has also been found in Australia and Canada, that the process of preparing and implementing the AEDI/EDI can be a useful way to build and strengthen inter-sectoral and agency collaboration within a community.

The AEDI will ultimately assist communities to:

• Build a rich and supportive environment for families with young children.
• Develop ways in which the service system is able to better respond to the emerging needs of young children and their families.
• Build a well-coordinated system of services for young children and their families.

However, there will be differences between the communities who utilise the AEDI. Some communities will have already formed strong collaborations between the schools sector, the early childhood sector and agencies working with families and children. Others may have partnerships with some sectors and agencies, but not all, and others will still be working towards developing these partnerships.

A community early years or partnership group (that is community members that come together to plan, organise and plan for community based early childhood initiatives), may be very helpful in raising awareness of the AEDI in the lead up to national implementation. This group could also be a catalyst for developing a community based action plan once the results have released to the community.

More information about this phase and Phase 2: AEDI Implementation Phase and Phase 3: Preparing for the Dissemination and Action Phase will be posted in the following weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Read more information in our frequently asked questions section.