At NSEY, we believe every child deserves to feel welcome, experience belonging and participate fully in learning, with the support they need from the very beginning. Across our services in Melbourne’s North, many children and families face complex barriers associated with disability, refugee experiences and family circumstances.
As part of our School Readiness Plans, NSEY employs Family Support Workers (most of whom are qualified as Social Workers) who are based at our kindergarten services where there are high levels of vulnerability and disadvantage amongst children and families. Our FSWs work alongside our teachers, educators and primary school colleagues to help families address barriers to their children’s learning, access and participation at kindergarten, as well as providing coaching and mentoring to the EC teams to effectively support children experiencing vulnerability.
In 2025 alone, the team supported 453 children and their families, made 339 referrals to external services, and helped 58 children receive Kindergarten Inclusion Support and this year that number grew again.
We are super proud that our Wellbeing Program was a finalist in the ‘Continuity of Learning’ category at the Victorian Early Years Awards 2026. Here is a video that highlights some of the wonderful work of this team: