The Atlas is a critical tool that provides support to the WA Local Government Australian Early Development Census Grants Program*, an initiative designed to assist WA local governments address the health and developmental needs of children. By leveraging Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data alongside other integrated datasets within the Atlas, the Atlas empowers local governments to make informed decisions, optimise resource allocation, and implement evidence-based initiatives that directly benefit their communities.
In practice, the Shire of Carnarvon, for example, are in the process of developing an Early Years Strategy, using the Atlas as a foundation. Having easy access to AEDC information has been invaluable to reference and include as evidence, and the ability to note comparisons to other regions/states is helpful in highlighting areas of intentional focus for the Shire of Carnarvon community, such as a high percentage of vulnerability in the language and cognitive domain.
The Atlas drives community impact by providing local governments accessible data to see where the priorities lie, compare progress across areas, and design targeted, evidence based strategies to address child wellbeing needs.
*The WA Local Government Early Years AEDC Grants Program is delivered by the WA Department of Education in partnership with the Department for Communities and the Western Australian Local Government Association.
