Enhanced Early Supports Pilot: one-year follow-up

A survey of 59 caregivers has provided valuable insight into what may be possible as the Australian Government develops and implements Thriving Kids.

At a glance

One year after the first cohort completed the Enhanced Early Supports (EES) Pilot, BSL undertook a follow-up survey of 48% of families from the first cohort to understand how children and their caregivers were progressing. Findings indicate that the pilot’s coaching and capacity‑building approach equipped families with enduring knowledge and skills that continued to shape everyday interactions, service engagement and developmental opportunities. The EES Pilot offers a practical example of the type of early, family‑centred assistance that Thriving Kids seeks to expand.

Dive deeper

The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) developed the EES Pilot to provide support to families whose child is not accessing funded NDIS support plans. This should be offered as part of an integrated approach. By providing coaching‑based early intervention support in home and community settings, EES aims to strengthen caregiver capability, improve developmental outcomes and help families access the supports their child’s needs. Read the initial evaluation .

The follow-up survey looked at the extent to which caregiver outcomes in confidence and connection to services were maintained over time, and to gather reflections on the longer‑term value and impact of the program. Combined with the EES evaluation, the survey provides valuable insight into what may be possible as the Australian Government develops and implements Thriving Kids.

One year after completing the program, caregivers maintained confidence to support and advocate for their child and reported good rates of service engagement:

• More children had a NDIS plan.
• Participation in health and mainstream services grew.
• There was near universal attendance in early learning and school.

• High rates of satisfaction were reported for accessed services.

Recommendations

These findings lead to the following three recommendations for supporting sustained outcomes for children and families:

1. Keep the core model features of relational coaching support in natural settings to enable access and outcomes.
2. Introduce short-term re‑engagement options so families have support to navigate challenges, especially at times of transition.
3. Improve mainstream and specialist service eligibility pathways and address systems gaps for more efficient and effective access to further supports.