Brave Honoured to Contribute to Social Ventures Australia’s ‘Integration of Early Years Services’ Report

Brave Foundation is honoured to be one of the eight integration initiatives featured in Social Ventures Australia’s (SVA) Integration of Early Years Services Learnings for Impact report, developed in partnership with dandolopartners. The report is a testament to the power of knowledge sharing within early years services, showcasing a range of innovative approaches that address diverse needs for effective support.

Brave Foundation CEO Jill Roche shared her gratitude for being invited to contribute to the learning for the sector.

“We are proud to be part of SVA’s comprehensive analysis of integration models. This report is a vital tool for understanding how different approaches can best serve specific communities,” she said.

“This report acknowledges the variety of approaches to working in early years in Australia, and it is a strength of the sector to ensure it meets parents and families where they are at.”

The report, which also includes initiatives such as Goodstart’s Enhancing Children’s Outcomes, By Five, Brimbank City Council Early Years Network, Far North Early Childhood Network, Our Place, The Hive and Uniting NSW, emphasises that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it highlights five key components for success:

1. Investment in dedicated teams who drive collaboration and bring people together
2. Clearly defined boundaries to focus the work
3. Building the right team with a commitment to ongoing development
4. Allowing time for readiness and trust to grow,
5. Being intentional with design features for sustainable impact.

“At Brave, we are dedicated to helping young parents build confidence and capacity, in particular as they navigate the service system. Participating in this research allowed us to demonstrate how a focused, specialised approach can help overcome challenges and create lasting impact for young families,” Ms Roche said.

The report highlighted that Brave:

• Is ‘defined by the priorities and needs of each individual they work with, within the context of a practice framework that is informed by evidence and lived experience.’
• Is ‘focused on a single target cohort – young parents – and the breadth of needs of its clients’
• Operates nationally while ‘still responsive to the places in which it works and is connect into local networks, it is focused on helping individuals develop their confidence and capacity as parents’
• ‘Understands that being a young parent can be isolating, especially in areas with limited services, so connects young parents to support regardless of location.’
• Has a learning mindset and ‘uses a monitoring and evaluation framework to continuously improve its core mentoring model for young parents.

“We’re encouraged by the report’s findings and the shared commitment of every initiative and organisation involved,” said Ms Roche.

“This report underscores the value of diverse, locally responsive approaches to integration in early years services. Brave’s work is deeply informed by the lived experience of young parents and we are thrilled to be contributing to a growing body of knowledge that seeks to better support all families in Australia.”