- Rio Tinto commits funding to the Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program for a further three years
- Founding partner Rio Tinto has supported the family literacy program for 20 years
- Funding supports WA families to ‘Read, Talk, Sing, Write and Play every day’
Families across the State have received a learning boost thanks to Rio Tinto providing a further three years of funding support for the State Library of Western Australia-led Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program.
Since 2004, the partnership has been delivering on a shared vision to drive generational change in the literacy outcomes of Western Australian children and their families.
Rio Tinto’s support will enable Better Beginnings to expand the Little Fulla Yarns Aboriginal families program to remote and regional communities after a successful pilot in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.
To coincide with the 20th anniversary of the partnership, new early literacy resources will be developed for Aboriginal children and children in families where English is an additional language or dialect, including a wordless book and online languages map to support families to share stories and early literacy activities in their first languages.
Better Beginnings resources and literacy packs reach families in every local government area across the State, in partnership with local public libraries, child health nurses, primary schools and other community organisations.
In 2023, more than 80,000 reading packs were delivered to WA families with newborns, toddlers and kindergarten-aged children.
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
“The State Library’s Better Beginnings program is much-loved and well-recognised by families across the State.
“The three-year deal is a fantastic result and will support the State Library to continue providing resources and engagement to our youngest Western Australians.
“Better Beginnings is thriving thanks to the support of funding partners like Rio Tinto and our community partners who help deliver the program.”
Comments attributed to Rio Tinto Iron Ore General Counsel Caitlin Westgarth:
“For almost two decades, our partnership with the State Library of Western Australia for Better Beginnings has helped parents and carers to read, talk, sing, write and play with their child from birth.
“The program creates a strong educational foundation for children to build on later in life.
“The expansion of the Little Fulla Yarns program and new resources for families where English is an additional language or dialect will make it easier for all families to develop a love of reading and stories, and support more children to develop strong literacy skills.”
