The City of Ballarat’s draft Family and Children Strategy 2027-2030 is now available for community feedback.
Children and young people aged 0 to 25 make up 31 per cent of Ballarat’s population. Ensuring their voices are heard is vital to shaping the services, programs and facilities they rely on.
Earlier this year, the City of Ballarat invited the community to help shape the new strategy by participated in surveys, workshops, conversations and other engagement activities.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves, said the draft strategy reflects the importance of investing in children and supporting families from the earliest years.
“The early years and childhood are critical stages of development that lay the foundation for lifelong health, wellbeing, learning and connection,” she said.
“We want to ensure Ballarat continues to be a place where children are safe, included and supported to thrive, while families feel connected, valued and supported.
“The draft strategy has been shaped by feedback from local families, children and service providers, and I encourage community members to have their say before it is presented to Council for consideration.”
The draft Family and Children Strategy 2027-2030 is guided by the Nest Framework, Australia’s first evidence-based framework for child and youth wellbeing.
Developed by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), the framework identifies six areas that support children and young people to thrive: Valued, Loved and Safe, Identity and Culture, Healthy, Material Basics, Learning and Participating.
The draft Family and Children Strategy 2027-2030 is available for public exhibition on the City of Ballarat’s MySay platform until Sunday, 18 October 2026.
