The Toddler pack has been designed as a touch-point for children aged two years old and provides a link between the existing Better Beginnings Baby and Kindergarten packs. Like the other Better Beginnings resources, the pack aims to support family literacy and continues to promote the key Better Beginnings messages, encouraging parents to read and sing with their children every day and visit their local public library.
The Toddler pack includes:
- A beautiful picture book, ‘When the Waterhole Dries Up’ by Kaye Baillie and Max Hamilton
- An information booklet for families
- Playdough and a playdough mat
- A booklist
- A bookmark
How much does it cost?
The reading pack is free for all two-year olds in Western Australia.
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 packs; and
- Packs the bags and sends them to your library.
Public Libraries:
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.
- Liaise with the local Community Child Health Nurse to discuss whether they will be a distribution point for the packs at a child's two-year-old health check. Ensure they have adequate Sing with Me packs in stock and make arrangements on a regular basis to top up their supplies as required.
- Can customise the packs by adding a library flier and putting gift stickers on the books (optional). Please add only information material generated by your council.
Community Child Health Nurse (CCHN):
The Department of Health is already a valued partner in the delivery of the Better Beginnings Birth Pack. There is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State Library of Western Australia and the Department of Health. This formal agreement encourages CCHNs to support the delivery of the program by distributing Birth packs to new parents. In addition, CCHNs can provide a distribution point for the packs at a child’s two-year-old health check. We advise contacting your CCHN to discuss this arrangement further.
My library is not currently receiving Toddler Packs but would like to. How do we access this component of the program?
All Western Australian public libraries can opt-in to receive Toddler packs. Simply complete the request form via the Public Libraries Help Desk.
How many packs should I request?
We suggest looking at your birth data from two years ago as a guide to how many Toddler packs you might require for your community. The Better Beginnings team has access to this data. Contact us for further information.
T: 9427 3130
E: Better.Beginnings@slwa.wa.gov.au
Is there an any additional cost to my library to receive the Sing with Me program?
No, there is no additional cost to receive Toddler. Every year Local Governments make a contribution to the Better Beginnings Program. This contribution to the program allows families in your LGA to access all Better Beginnings reading packs and all library staff access to all Better Beginnings resources and training.
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 – Baby, 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.
I already have a lot of Toddler packs at my Library, I don't need anymore! Who can I speak to?
Please fill out a form on the Public Libraries Help Desk. Provide us with an estimated figure of how much stock you have at your library as this will assist us in projecting when to recommence deliveries.
I would like to request extra Toddler Packs. How do I get some more and will this impact my invoice?
You can request extra packs via the Public Libraries Help Desk. Ad hoc deliveries are available at any time. There are no additional charges for any facet of the program, including increasing or decreasing the delivery of reading packs.
Are the packs strictly for library customers who are two years of age?
The pack has been designed to be age appropriate for children who are approximately two years old, but libraries can use their judgement when distributing the packs to families. It’s important to keep in mind that we base the numbers of packs that we produce on Western Australian birth data and consequently do not have an unlimited supply.
