THE cities of Swan and Kalamunda are among councils who have received funding to expand early childhood programs for vulnerable families.

City of Swan Mayor Tanya Richardson said the city was committed to fostering an inclusive, connected community and creating a sense of belonging from its oldest to youngest members.

“Thanks to support from the state government, the city has received a grant of $100,000 to expand our services for children and implement a children and families action plan to improve outcomes specified in the Australian early development census (AEDC),” she said.

The AEDC annually collects information about Australia’s youngest citizens, assessing more than 305,000 children to uncover patterns in development and where and who in the community might need more help and guidance to setting their children on the right path.

Ms Richardson said the city would be rolling out several evidence-informed programs to vulnerable families in the community.

“Under the banner of Swan Strong, we’re rolling out evidence-informed programs called It’s all about play, Nature play in the park, Read play grow, Paint the Swan REaD, and Rockin’ bops to vulnerable families and children from diverse backgrounds,” she said.

“Some of these programs, like Paint the Swan REaD, have been tested and deemed successful in previous years as they bridge the gap in services for children who aren’t captured in early childhood programs and workshops.”

Ms Richardson said the new funding will help support children and families who had previously flown under the radar.

“These programs will help us improve developmental outcomes, increase evidence-informed support and initiatives and improve our response to developmental vulnerabilities for young children in our community,” she said.

Early childhood education minister Sabine Winton said the grants would support local governments to deliver programs to support families in the critical stages of their children’s development.

“The initiatives will allow councils to deliver targeted interventions that address the unique needs of their communities, improving outcomes for children and families,” she said.

The Zig Zag early childhood program, in the City of Kalamunda, is rolling out similar programs with new funding.

A spokesperson said additional funding and focus on struggling families would help put even more kids on a good pathway for development.