The Early Development Index (EDI) is a teacher-completed questionnaire that assesses five areas of early child development. It provides a community-level measure of school readiness. The EDI measures physical health, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and general knowledge. Communities use EDI data to identify areas of vulnerability and target programs like early literacy initiatives, indigenous playgroups, and community parks to improve outcomes. Regular EDI data collection allows communities to evaluate the impact of these programs over time.

1. www.australianedi.org.au

2. What is the Early Development Index (EDI)?
• Originally developed in Canada by Dan Offord and Magdalena Janus
at the Offord Centre for Child Development, Mc Master University
• It is a teacher completed questionnaire consisting of over 100 questions
assessing five areas of child development relevant to children’s
readiness for learning at school
• It provides a community level measure of the % of children whose early
child development has equipped them to make a successful transition
into their first full-time year of formal learning
www.australianedi.org.au

3. What does the EDI measure?
It provides a measure of the % of children within a specific community
who arrive at school ready to learn in terms of their:
• Physical health and well-being - The child is healthy, independent,
ready for school each day
• Social competence - The child plays, gets along with others and
shares, is self-confident
• Emotional maturity - The child is able to concentrate, help others, is
patient, not aggressive or angry
• Language and cognitive development - The child is interested in
reading and writing, can count and recognize numbers and shapes
• Communication skills and general knowledge – The Child can tell a
story, communicate with adults and children, and articulate their basic
needs
www.australianedi.org.au

5. Strategies to Improve
School Readiness Trajectories
Family Discord
Social-emotional, Physical
Lack of health services Cognitive, Language
function
Poverty Lower trajectory:
Ready to learn
With diminished
Pre-school function
Appropriate Discipline
Reading to child
Parent education
EDI
Emotional literacy
Birth Late Infancy Late Toddler Late Preschool
6 mo 12 mo 18 mo 24 mo 3 yrs 5 yrs Age
Early Infancy Early Toddler Early Preschool

6. Sensitive Periods in Early Brain
Development
High Pre-school years School years
Numbers
Peer social skills
Symbol Language
Habitual ways of responding
Emotional control
Vision
Hearing
Low
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Years EDI
Graph developed by Council for Early Child Development (ref: Nash, 1997; Early Years Study, 1999; Shonkoff, 2000.)

7. Paper for the 2005 AIFS Conference “Families Matter”
Title: The Australian Early Development Index: Building Better
Communities for Children project
Authors: Mary Sayers, Dr Sharon Goldfeld, Prof Sven Silburn, Melissa Coutts
and the Australian Early Development Index Partnership*
(*Prof Frank Oberklaid, Dr Sharon Goldfeld, Mary Sayers, Melissa Coutts from the
Centre for Community Child Health, Prof Sven Silburn from the Telethon Institute for
Child Health Research, Dr Bret Hart and Sally Brinkman from the North Metropolitan
Area Health Service)
A partnership between
An Australian Government Initiative Supported by
under the
www.australianedi.org.au

8. Vulnerability
threshold
% of Children
Low Outcome measure High
www.australianedi.org.au

9. Universal strategies-entire
population moves
% of Children
Targeted
strategies
decrease curve
for vulnerable
Gap narrows
Low Outcome measure High
www.australianedi.org.au

10. What does it take to
reduce inequality?
High
vulnerability
EDI
Low
vulnerability
Disadvantaged
SES Advantaged

11. Targeted programs?
High Vulnerability may be
vulnerability reduced for targeted
groups
Majority of vulnerable
children receive no
benefit
EDI
Low
vulnerability
Disadvantaged
SES Advantaged

12. Universal programs?
High Barriers to access may
vulnerability prevent all from benefiting
EDI Potential to
steepen
the gradient
Low
vulnerability
Disadvantaged
SES Advantaged

13. Proportionate Universality
Universal access at a scale and intensity that
addresses barriers at every level
High
vulnerability
Barriers to access Gradient flattened
at both ends of
the SES spectrum,
but proportionate
EDI to level of risk
10 -15%
Low
vulnerability
Disadvantaged
SES Advantaged

14. 2009 snapshot of Australia’s children
3,255 Total
= 261,203 children
= 98% (est popn)
= A developmental
census of five year olds
55,449
87,168
27,579
AEDI CENSUS
16,208 4,432
61,196
5,916

15. Search for
community

16. Case Story 1
Community
Communities for Children Site
Mirrabooka,
Western Australia

17. How the Smith Family has used the AEDI?
• As a benchmark to help us:
– Understand the effectiveness of past interventions
(including identifying best practice)
– Focus our limited resources on the areas of greatest
vulnerability
– Determine the kind of support that is needed in the
future
– Influence and mobilise resources from the local
community

18. Asset Mapping
Perth East Metropolitan region, Proportion of children vulnerable on one or more domains
Muchea
Muchea
Bullsbrook
Bullsbrook
Proportion of children vulnerable
N=Percent
34.4 to 63.9
24.5 to 34.3
18.5 to 24.4
10.5 to 18.4
0 to 10.4
Gidgegannup
Gidgegannup
The Vines
The Vines
Upper Swan
Upper Swan
Belhus
Belhus
Ellenbrook
Ellenbrook
Darch
Darch
Alexander Heights
Alexander Heights Henley Brook
Henley Brook
Marangaroo
Marangaroo Herne Hill
Herne Hill
Girrawheen
Girrawheen Ballajura
Ballajura
Koondoola
Koondoola West Swan
West Swan Stoneville
Stoneville
Balga
Balga Chidlow
Chidlow
Jane Brook
Jane Brook Parkerville Mount Helena
Mirrabooka
Mirrabooka
Middle Swan
Middle Swan Parkerville Mount Helena
Beechboro
Beechboro
Westminster
Westminster Stratton
Stratton
Caversham
Caversham Hovea
Hovea
Lockridge
Lockridge Midland Swan View
Midland Swan View
Morley
Morley Eden Hill
Eden Hill Woodbridge
Woodbridge
Guildford
Guildford Greenmount
Greenmount
Mahogany Creek
Mahogany Creek
Mount Hawthorn
Mount Hawthorn South Guildford
South Guildford Helena Valley
Helena Valley
Glen Forrest Mundaring
Glen Forrest Mundaring Sawyers Valley
Sawyers Valley
North Perth
North Perth Darlington
Darlington
Highgate
Prepared by: AEDI National Support Centre
Highgate
East Metropolitan Perth, WA Source: AEDI Communities Data 2004/05

20. Responding to the challenge
• A universal early literacy project
• A targeted indigenous playgroup
• A community park project focusing upon physical and social
development
• Expanded playgroup provision in local schools with a school
readiness focus
• Scholarships for primary aged children
• Changed public transport routes

21. Mirrabooka C4C - Change in AEDI Results from 2003-2009
60
50
Proportion of Children Vulnerable
40
Phys
Soc
Emot
30
Lang
Comm
20 Low 1+
10
0
2003 (n=538) 2004 (n=354) 2008 (n=228) 2009 (n=589)
Year

22. Case Story 2
Remote Indigenous
Community
Todd River,
Northern Territory

23. © Anne Hanning-Kngwarreye

24. Which Environments Matter?

26. Case Story 3
State/Provincial
Community Children’s Centres
38 Centres across
South Australia

27. Fraser Mustard – “thinker in residence”

28. What is a Children’s Centre?
Vision
Children’s Centres for Early Childhood
Development and Parenting support children and
families to achieve the best possible learning,
health and wellbeing outcomes in a universal
setting with targeted responses for families who
may require additional support.

29. Children’s Centre Model
Care and education from birth through to the early years of
school which may include:
• Playgroup or crèche
• Child care - either long day care or occasional care
• Preschool
• First years of school
• Community development, parenting programs
• Family support and service coordination
• Learning Together (where possible)
• Health promotion and services
• Early identification and support for children with additional needs,
including learning difficulties

30. Scope
Location
• On school sites with child care, family support, health and other
community services on site, connected through visiting services or
supported by local agreements
Focus
• Providing services to children and families who are enrolled in
education & care services at the centre or who are living in the local
community
Service Types
• Universal services (prevention & early intervention), community
development, childhood immunisation, playgroups, child care and
preschool
• Targeted services (key worker models) i.e. parenting programs, key
worker support, family support services, allied health and bilingual
support
• Referral intensive services i.e. child protection mental health
programs.

31. % vs no. for LGAs
Percent vulnerable
SEIFA disadvantage

32. Who delivers the services?
Director Early Childhood Education & Care
Leadership of education, care programs and staff for B-5
year old children
Community Development Coordinator
Coordinates the delivery of services, programs & projects
Family Services Coordinator (if applicable)
Builds local networks and connect families with services
Allied Health and health services
Early intervention, assessment, support and referral
Learning Together (if applicable)
Program focussing on early literacy – B-3 in particular
Partner Agencies & NGOs

33. Community Development
Coordinator
• Connects local families
• Facilitates services, programs and projects
• Engages families in governance and advisory roles
• Engages families in volunteering and peer support
• Networks with local government, other community
services, NGO’s and care providers
• Engages all sectors of the community inc Aboriginal,
new arrivals, and culturally diverse families
• Leads and develops community profile

34. Working in Partnership
The key to successful partnerships include:
• Understanding, respecting, and caring for children,
parents, staff and the community
• Communication, positive relationships & flexibility
• Individual passion
• Constructive relationships & supportive leaders
• Understanding of each other’s role & contribution
• Learning from the rich legacy of work
• Commitment to underlying principles

35. What makes it work?
• Commitment to underlying principles
• Ability to work in partnership for children & families
• Shared vision and outcomes
• Individual and shared leadership, management and
accountability
• Processes and systems that comply with
government rules, while being flexible & effective
• Coherent governance that strengthens partnerships,
joint planning and decision-making
• Shared accountabilities and commitments
(Statement of Purpose)

36. Integrated Local Governance

37. The Enabling Group
Purpose
Establish and monitor mechanisms for family and community
consultation and participation in the Children’s Centre
Decision-making focus
• instigates processes for interagency collaboration
• sets up a range of community participation procedures
• promotes the involvement of other partners.
Membership
• Director Education & Care/Head of Early Years
• School Principal CYWHS
• DFC Local Government
• Dept of Health DECS (Regional & Central)
• NGOs Governing Council
• CDC and/or FSC Childcare Director

38. The Partnership Group
Purpose
• brings agencies together to provide integrated services
organised around the child, family, and community
Decision-making focus
• develops the Children’s Centre vision, values, Statement of Purpose
and MOUs as required
• develops an annual Outcomes Framework implementation plan and
achievement report
• advises the Children’s Centre Operations Group of operational issues
and barriers to integration
Membership
• Director Education & Care
• School Principal CYWHS
• DFC Local Government
• Dept of Health DECS (Regional & Central)
• NGOs Governing Council
• CDC Childcare Director

39. The Parent Advisory Group
Purpose
• provides opportunities for family and community members to have
input into the future directions of the Children’s Centre based on
community strengths and needs.
Advisory focus
• connects with families and the community to obtain their views on
services and other matters
• provides advice to the Leadership Team on services
• advises the Leadership Team on strategies for encouraging family &
community participation and engagement.
Membership
• Families using the children’s Centre from a broad cross section of the
community
• Community Development Coordinator and Family Services Coordinator

40. Outcomes Framework
Vision
Principles
Population outcomes
Performance outcomes
Objectives
Population outcomes
1)
Children have optimal health and
development
2) Parents provide strong foundations
Strategies 3) Communities are child and family
friendly
4) Aboriginal children are safe healthy,
culturally strong and confident
Indicators

41. There is no single model…
The best approaches are:
• built on local strengths, opportunities and
priorities
• use research best practices
• include key program elements built up over
time.

42. Evaluation
Primary outcome measure is the EDI.
National EDI census 2009, 2012, 2015,
2018……….(every three years, with
sample collection in between years).

43. Vision for the future
Every community will
have strong advocacy,
leadership and
partnerships for young
children and their
families

44. Lessons Learned
Strong inter-sectoral leadership
Alignment with school system
Focus on EDI outcomes

45. Lessons Learned
Build data systems for
monitoring/evaluation/advocacy
Focus on facilitators to enable
equitable access
to high quality programming