All Western Australian schools and community Kindergartens are invited to participate in the Better Beginnings Kindergarten program. Free reading packs are provided to every Kindergarten aged child to take home.  The reading pack includes: 

  • A beautiful Australian children's picture book; 
  • A colouring sheet and crayons
  • A green library bag; 
  • Information for parents/ caregivers about books and reading, and 
  • Stickers to complete the colouring sheet
How much does it cost? 

The reading pack is free for all Kindergarten children.  There is no charge for schools to be involved.  Libraries pay an amount calculated according to how many babies were born in the Local Government Area (LGA), using birth registration figures from the Department of Justice.  Payment of the invoiced amount will guarantee access by the LGA to all the Better Beginnings programs and resources, including the Better Beginnings Kindergarten pack. 

Who does what? 

The State Library of Western Australia: 

  • Coordinates the program at a State level including funding, reporting and promotion; 
  • Organises the purchase of the gift books;  
  • Designs and prints the materials in the reading pack; and  
  • Packs the bags and sends them to your library. 
Your Library: 

Public Libraries sit at the heart of Better Beginnings, acting as the community hub supporting parents in their role as their child’s first teacher. 

Public Libraries: 
  • Liaise with the local school contact and organise a mutually agreed upon method and time to deliver the reading packs to the local schools in your community; 
  • Advise us of any change to the delivery date and number of packs for the reading packs to arrive at your library via the Public Library Help Desk;  
  • Can customise the reading packs by adding a library flier and putting gift stickers on the books (optional).  Please add only information material generated by your council; and 
  • Distribute the reading packs.  
Local Schools:

Western Australian schools are a valuable partner in the Better Beginnings program. 

At the beginning of the year, all WA schools are encouraged to liaise with their local public library to access the free reading packs for their Kindergarten students. 

When will we receive the invoice for participation in the Better Beginnings programs and resources? 

Libraries will receive a yearly invoice in late July.  You can request to receive this invoice earlier in the year via Public Libraries Help Desk. 

How much will my invoice be? 

Libraries pay an amount calculated according to how many babies were born in the Local Government Area (LGA) using birth registration figures from the Department of Justice.  This is calculated and sent out as an advance notice in March, followed by formal communication to library managers in May or June. Libraries can request a projected invoicing figure for the financial year, any time from January of the same calendar year, via the Public Libraries Help Desk. 

What does my invoice include? 

Payment of the invoice entitles your library to full participation in the Better Beginnings Program for a financial year.  This includes: 

  • Delivery of all reading packs – Birth, Toddler and Kindergarten; 
  • Training offered by the Better Beginnings team; and 
  • Access to outreach resources produced by SLWA including Play Panels and The Story Tent.  A full list of outreach resources and details about borrowing procedures can be found under the Resources tab. 
I’m required to raise a purchase order – what should I do? 

Contact Better Beginnings via the Public Libraries Help Desk to notify us ASAP. We will ensure we do not raise an invoice until we have received a purchase order. 

I don't agree with the amount that we have been invoiced.  Who can I speak to?  

Raise a query via the Public Libraries Help Desk and a member of the Better Beginnings team will be in touch.    

When will I receive the Kindergarten packs at my Library? 

In 2025 the State Library of Western Australia will deliver packs to your Library based on the 2024 delivery schedule which is available on Public Libraries Online. For any changes please contact us via the Public Library help desk. Please give as much notice as possible for changes and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

Can I add my own library resources to the reading packs?   

You are welcome to personalise your bags with local material relevant to your library or local government (membership forms, promotional materials etc.), but if a corporate organisation approaches you wanting to place extra information inside, you will need to seek approval from SLWA. 

The school has contacted me to say they have more students.  How do I get more reading packs? 

You can request extra packs if you have been notified by the school and advised that there are extra students in the class.  Follow the instructions below: 

  • Go to Public Libraries Online (PLO) and select Public Libraries Help Desk; 
  • Underneath Better Beginnings Forms, click on Green Kindergarten Pack; 
  • When the form appears, record the EXTRA number of packs required in the ‘Number of packs required’ field; 
  • If you require a specific title to match the other packs which are being delivered to a class, make note of this in the ‘Additional Information’ field. 
I don’t have time to visit the local school/s.  How can I make sure Kindergarten students receive their packs? 

Better Beginnings is very flexible with how packs are delivered to schools.  If you find that your workload prohibits you from delivering a time intensive session at a local school (class presentation, assembly presentation etc), then speak to the school contact and arrange a time to drop the packs to the school or alternatively, for a school staff member to visit the library and collect them from you.  If you do opt for this delivery model, we suggest personalising the packs with information from your library.  This may include a welcome letter, membership form or flyer about upcoming events.  This informs parents and caregivers of the purpose of the pack and links them back to your library service. 

A home school family has requested Kindergarten reading packs.  What should I do? 

We encourage home school families to access and use the Better Beginnings Kindergarten packs. You can request additional packs for your library to keep aside for homeschool families via the Public Libraries Help Desk. 

A child care centre has contacted me and requested Kindergarten reading packs.  What should I do? 

Child care centres are only eligible to receive Kindergarten packs if they have students attending their centre for a Kindergarten program and they are not also attending a local school for Kindergarten. Only these students are eligible to receive the packs.  Libraries are not obligated to deliver to child care centres;  however, we encourage you to do so if they have students who are eligible to receive the packs or drop some packs off for any children who wouldn't receive a pack elsewhere. 

I know the Kindy pack has been updated and I would like to have that one! Can I return the old Kindy packs to SLWA and get sent out some new packs? 

The simple answer is no! We understand that the new Kindy pack is lovely, but so is the old one, and it is still a fabulous early literacy resource for families. Your LGA has paid for these resources and it would be irresponsible and wasteful not to use up the current stock.