Programs for kindergartens
School Readiness Funding supports government-funded kindergartens to improve children’s outcomes in communication, social and emotional wellbeing, and access and inclusion.
Meli is an approved School Readiness provider, so we can deliver specialist programs to kindergarten providers in Victoria.
Kindergartens can purchase the programs we deliver through the Department of Education’s School Readiness Funding Menu. School Readiness funding is designed to ensure all children, regardless of their background and social vulnerability can reach their full potential and arrive at school ready to learn and thrive.
Meli’s School Readiness Programs – Working with Vulnerable Children
Meli has developed a range of early childhood professional development packages designed for kindergarten educators working with vulnerable children. See flyers below for further information.
Managing Anxiety in Children for Educators
Trauma Informed Practice for Educators
Building Resilience in Children for Educators
Executive Functioning and Emotional Regulation
Diminished Social Reward and Enhanced Threat Bias
Reflective Practice for Educators
The packages aim to strengthen and further develop the understanding and professional practice of educators to better support children who have experienced challenges, trauma and adversity.
Each training package includes theory, case examples and practical strategies to enhance educator skills.
All packages are designed to support educators to build resilience, promote recovery and optimise educational outcomes for all children, regardless of their background and social vulnerability, so that they can reach their full potential and arrive at school ready to learn and thrive.
Program cost
$195 per person per program plus GST
- Each workshop is three hours in duration
- Workshop content can be modified to meet the needs of particular kindergartens/educators
- Workshops can be delivered online via Zoom
For more information or to apply for the Working With Vulnerable Children – Professional Development packages contact us on:
Ph: 03 5278 8122
Email: schoolreadiness@meli.org.au
School Readiness Funding Menu – Working with Vulnerable Children program page
Working with Vulnerable Children professional development packages brochure.
For more information or to apply for the Working with Vulnerable Children – Professional Development Packages contact us on:
Ph: 03 5278 8122
Email: schoolreadiness@meli.org.au
Working With Vulnerable Children booking form
For module availability and session times please see term dates below:
Meli – School Readiness – Term 1 Dates 2026
Meli – School Readiness – Term 2 Dates 2026
Connect Up
Connect Up is Meli’s early intervention program to identify and support under-resourced and isolated families with young children.
We deliver the Connect Up program in partnership with kindergartens, schools and community facilities. We work with educators to assist families to create a safe, supportive home environment for their children to thrive. This includes addressing each family’s particular vulnerabilities and supporting their wellbeing, access and inclusion in the kindergarten system. Connect Up aims to build the capacity of educators to support positive change for families attending their kindergartens, provide direct support to parents and improve educational outcomes for vulnerable children.
Connect Up workers are co-located in kindergartens to provide an accessible, integrated support service for families in a familiar and safe environment.
As part of the School Readiness Program, Connect Up is available in kindergartens for a minimum of two terms (period to be negotiated with kindergarten). The program is available to kindergartens in the Barwon and south west regions.
Indicative program cost:
The cost of the Connect Up program is based on a Family Services hourly rate of $125.50 (excl. GST) and a daily rate of $953.80 (excl. GST).
These costs include all staffing operations and management of the Connect Up worker to be co-located within a kindergarten site.
At a minimum, the Connect Up program can be delivered over 125 hours. The cost for this support is $19,074 (excl. GST).
Please contact Meli for further information regarding the program cost and service delivery components that can be tailored for you.
For more information:
School Readiness Funding Menu – Connect Up program page
Connect Up brochure
Meli website – Connect Up program page
Family Information Sessions
When families, early childhood services, schools and communities work together, the ‘whole child’ is supported to reach their full learning potential.
Along with the professional development packages designed for kindergarten educators, Meli have also developed workshops designed for families of the children attending four-year-old programs. These workshops are designed to encourage a holistic approach and promote collaboration between families and educators, as well as assisting to ease family anxieties on transitioning into school.
Meli’s Family Information Workshops include:
- Positive Approaches to Guiding Children’s Behaviour
- Building Independence and Fostering Resilience
- School Readiness and Positive Transitions
Program cost
$450 per workshop plus GST
- Workshops can be offered in the evening
- Each workshop is 1.5 hours in duration
- Workshop content can be modified to meet the needs of particular kindergartens/educators
- Workships can be delivered online via Zoom
For more information or to apply for the Family Information Sessions contact us on:
Ph: 03 5278 8122
Email: schoolreadiness@meli.org.au
Family Information Sessions brochure
Family Information Sessions booking form
How to access this service
For more information or to apply for one of our school readiness programs contact us on:
Ph: 03 5278 8122
Email: schoolreadiness@meli.org.au
We can provide a personalised quote for your kindergarten.
Frequently asked questions
You can apply through the School Readiness Funding – https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/providers/funding
Yes, we can – call us on 03 5278 8122 or email schoolreadiness@meli.org.au to discuss a tailored program for your kindergarten.
All professional development modules and information sessions require payment in full at least three business days prior to delivery. Cancellations or session changes will require a minimum five business days’ notice, non-attendance without notice will still incur the cost. Attempts will be made to reschedule were possible, please contact schoolreadiness@meli.org.au or 03 5278 8122.
We are flexible and can work with you to deliver the program in the most convenient way possible.
Working with Vulnerable Children and Family Information Session can be delivered online, as well as face-to-face.
Our regions are used as a guide, if you’re located in a different area, we may still be able to provide our programs to you. Please email schoolreadiness@meli.org.au to discuss your options.
Step Up – Step Down Phase Connect Up Activities
Phase 1: Step Up. Initial establishment and engagement with Educators / parents
Phase 2: Service Engagement. Engagement and tailored intervention of all components as identified per site (e.g. group & individual/secondary consultations and transitional support)
Phase 3: Step Down. Closure and review processes
Support activities for the program are tailored to the needs of the kindergarten and families.
The model enables intensive support for children from families with complex needs. As well as consultation support to Educators.
- Additional travel costs may be incurred if the kindergarten is outside a 40kms radius of Geelong or Warrnambool. These costs can be negotiated within overall package costs.
- Period of engagement – a minimum of two school terms to be allocated to a Connect Up worker delivering agreed interventions from the program components (125 hours of support)
- Connect Up worker caseload: individual case management model – 12 families – 1 FTE.
- Service delivery components can be negotiated within the relevant time constraints and capacity for an individual worker operating on a 7.6-hour day.
- A Service Agreement will be negotiated at the outset to determine the agreed parameters of the program, and a mid-term review and extensions can be negotiated with a 6-week notice period.
- A Connect Up worker can be shared across two Kindergartens within this package if within reasonable geographic proximity and costs shared as agreed in the Service Agreement by all parties.
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