Improving the learning and wellbeing of families in country Queensland

Grantee

The Bryan Education Foundation
Project Summary

Integrated School Hubs – Establishing a 10 year forward program to improve the learning and wellbeing of children and families in rural and regional Queensland.
Grant amount

$300,000
Year/s of funding

2 years / 2024-2026

The John Villiers Trust is providing $300,000 over two years to help The Bryan Education Foundation improve the learning and wellbeing of children and families in country Queensland.

Supporting children and young people in rural, regional and remote communities to thrive is a priority for The John Villiers Trust (JVT). JVT knows that many children – especially those in rural, regional and remote areas – cannot access the educational and wellbeing services they need to reach their full potential. That’s why JVT has committed to help fund planning of The Bryan Education Foundation’s Integrated Schools Hub project.

The project aims to:

  • create a 10 year program that identifies and prioritises future work and investment across Queensland for the benefit of babies, children up to 12 years old, and their families; 
  • develop a version of the FamilyLinQ model to meet the unique needs of rural and regional communities; and
  • build a network of existing and future school-based hubs to share practice and resources, and to plan for and advocate for investment and expansion of the model.
What is FamilyLinQ?

FamilyLinQ is a school-based hub approach that aims to improve life outcomes for Queensland children and their families. It brings together government and non-government services such as high-quality early years learning and schooling, adult education, skills and training initiatives for parents, and wrap-around health and community services, at a single location. It is based on a successful model that has been operating in Victoria for over 10 years.

How is JVT involved?

On the back of the evidence from the successful Victorian implementation and other national and international examples, The Bryan Foundation and Queensland Government have established the FamilyLinQ initiative, initially in two urban areas in South East Queensland.

Given the interest and potential opportunity to expand the model across Queensland, JVT is funding The Bryan Education Foundation to consult with country communities to design a version of the integrated school-based hubs approach that meets their particular needs.

Why is JVT getting involved?

JVT focuses on supporting the wellbeing and development of young Queenslanders living in rural, regional and remote communities.

Integrated school hubs have the potential to improve education, health and employment outcomes for rural, regional and remote Queensland kids and their families, by building connections across communities, organisations and regions, so that families, children and teachers have an expanded resource and support network.

Alignment with JVT’s priorities

The Integrated School Hubs project aligns closely with JVT’s goals, strategic intent, and success criteria. The program:

  • Will use and leverage existing relationships and resources. The Bryan Foundation and Queensland Government are funding the urban pilots.  The Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Sabemo Foundation are already co-funders. Research by Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP), Social Ventures Australia and ARACY will be used. Partners involved in the Queensland Kids Funders Alliance and the National Investment Dialogue processes have expressed interest in getting involved.
  • Is based on the idea of early intervention to bring better outcomes for children and their families.
  • Will be community-led and informed, reliant on the buy-in, engagement and contribution of local people and organisations JVT funds to support planning of future rollouts alongside the community.
  • Has the potential to have multiple and deep impacts, as it aims to build stronger country communities with better education, health and employment outcomes and support for children and young people and their families.
  • Builds the capacity of partners to appropriately plan for future development within communities, and builds capability of communities to appropriately engage in development of hubs for their needs.
Our JVT funding 

JVT’s funding will be used to employ a temporary Project Officer for two years, to support the development of a school-based integrated hubs program in Queensland, and to create a hub network across the state. The hub approach helps build strong connections between schools, families and communities, and builds local resilience and capacity.

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