Linked program 2.1 contributes to Outcome 1 by providing supports and services to
families under the Families and Children Activity to improve the wellbeing of children and
young people and enhance family functioning.
Linked program 2.1 further contributes to Outcome 1 through the development of the
whole-of-Commonwealth Early Years Strategy, which will support a more integrated and
coordinated approach to the wellbeing, education and development of Australia's children.
Linked program 3.1 contributes to Outcome 1 by providing key actions, under the Early
Childhood Targeted Action Plan that supports Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031,
and the Early Years Strategy (under development), to strengthen early identification,
information, supports and pathways, as well as collaboration between programs and
services. The program supports the development and wellbeing of children and helps them
thrive across and between life stages.
Complementing this, the National Early Childhood Program for children with disability or
developmental concerns is being implemented across Australia. The program delivers a
range of disability-specific online information, parent and carer workshops and supported
playgroups and music groups for young children aged 0 to 8 years with disability or
developmental concerns. Community-led initiatives supported by the Stronger Places,
Stronger People initiative are engaging families, children and young people to elevate their
voices on what works, and are using data and evidence to drive better outcomes through
the service system, including the early childhood system.
The linked programs also contribute to the implementation of the National Plan to End
Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 (National Plan) as well as the
prevention domain under the National Plan, which highlights the role of respectful
relationships and consent education in stopping violence before it starts.
Outcome 1: Improved early learning, schooling, student educational outcomes and
transitions to and from school through access to quality early childhood education
and care, support, parent engagement, quality teaching and learning environments.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) contributes to Outcome 1 by providing support to job seekers while they are unable to work or while they find work and by providing support to people with disability, their family and carers to build their knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in social and economic life. This includes: * building the capacity of the community to create opportunities for people with disability to contribute to community prosperity and participate in community life, with initiatives that create pathways to employment and drive more inclusive practices by employers through the Information Linkages and Capacity Building Economic and Community Participation program * activities that build foundation skills and work expectations of people with disability as well as activities that increase the capacity of employers and workplaces to be more inclusive * social security payment arrangements that enable job seekers to take up work * strengthening incentives for pensioners over Age Pension age to work if they are able to and wish to do so. DSS contributes to Outcome 1 by leading the implementation of Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031, which includes ensuring people with disability have economic security, enabling them to plan for the future, and exercise choice and control over their lives.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) contributes to Outcome 2 by providing financial
support to individuals and families to undertake further education and training.
This includes enhancing educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students by increasing their access and participation in further education. DSS also
provides support to people with disability, their family and carers to build their
knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in social and economic life.
DSS contributes to Outcome 2 by leading the implementation of Australia's Disability
Strategy 2021–2031, which includes ensuring people with disability have economic
security, enabling them to plan for the future, and exercise choice and control over their
lives.

DSS contributes to improving the wellbeing and social and economic participation
of people with disability, their families and carers by administering programs such
as the Carers and Disability Employment program and by developing the policy and
legal framework for the NDIS in which the NDIA operates. Further, DSS drives the
implementation of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031, the NDIA has a
responsibility to apply the Strategy's Guiding Principles when considering program,
service or system so that they are appropriate and accessible for people with
disability.
This includes encouraging better collaboration between programs and services,
including with the NDIA's Early Childhood approach and NDIA Early Childhood
Partners, by leading the Early Childhood Targeted Action Plan to support
Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031; and implementing the National Early
Childhood Program for children with disability or developmental concerns.
DSS is responsible for the Information, Linkages and Capacity building (ILC)
program and continues to work closely with the NDIA to support the alignment
with NDIA's Local Area Coordinators. This work aims to ensure appropriate
referrals to information and support services in the community are being made,
including to ILC funded grant activities.
Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children
2021–2031 (Safe and Supported) aims to make significant and sustained progress in
reducing child abuse and neglect and its intergenerational impacts. The Safe and
Supported First Action Plan 2023-2026 and Safe and Supported Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan 2023-2026 were developed in partnership
with First Nations leaders and state and territory governments, and in close
collaboration with the non-government sector. The Action Plans were released on 31
January 2023.
Under Action 7 of the Safe and Supported First Action Plan, DSS will work with the
National Disability Insurance Agency, states and territories, First Nations leaders
and the non-government sector to ensure effective and timely responses for parents
and carers living with disability and children and young people with disability
and/or developmental concerns at risk of entering the child protection system, in
out-of-home care, or transitioning to adulthood from out-of-home care.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has policy responsibility for student payments,
including ABSTUDY, which provide financial assistance to First Nations families and
students to encourage participation and retention in secondary and tertiary education.
Some payments (i.e. Relocation Scholarships and Student Start-up Loans) are subject to
mutual exclusion provisions for some scholarships which are administered by the NIAA
(i.e. Commonwealth Accommodation Costs Scholarship and Commonwealth Education
Costs Scholarship) preventing double payment for the same period.
DSS contributes to the IAS by supporting the development of stronger families and more
resilient communities. This includes supporting First Nations families and communities
to enjoy similar levels of physical emotional and social wellbeing to that enjoyed by other
Australians; supporting families to give children a good start in life; supporting access to
affordable housing; and supporting remote strategic investments and remote housing
strategies.
DSS also contributes to the IAS by supporting eligible First Nations peoples living in nonremote regions with a disability into work.
DSS is responsible for leading the Commonwealth’s implementation of three targets
under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, Target 9a (housing), Target 12 (outof-home care), Target 13 (family violence); and the cross-cutting outcome for disability.
DSS contributes a range of initiatives and actions toward achieving these targets as set
out in the Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan)
| National Indigenous Australians Agency

Outcome 1 contributes to the linked programs above by the provision of a range of
information, services and payments on behalf of the entities listed within Australia
and where applicable, overseas.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) contributes to Outcome 1 by providing support to job seekers while they are unable to work or while they find work and by providing support to people with disability, their family and carers to build their knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in social and economic life. This includes: * building the capacity of the community to create opportunities for people with disability to contribute to community prosperity and participate in community life, with initiatives that create pathways to employment and drive more inclusive practices by employers through the Information Linkages and Capacity Building Economic and Community Participation program * activities that build foundation skills and work expectations of people with disability as well as activities that increase the capacity of employers and workplaces to be more inclusive * social security payment arrangements that enable job seekers to take up work * strengthening incentives for pensioners over Age Pension age to work if they are able to and wish to do so. DSS contributes to Outcome 1 by leading the implementation of Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031, which includes ensuring people with disability have economic security, enabling them to plan for the future, and exercise choice and control over their lives.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) contributes to Outcome 2 by providing financial
support to individuals and families to undertake further education and training.
This includes enhancing educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students by increasing their access and participation in further education. DSS also
provides support to people with disability, their family and carers to build their
knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in social and economic life.
DSS contributes to Outcome 2 by leading the implementation of Australia's Disability
Strategy 2021–2031, which includes ensuring people with disability have economic
security, enabling them to plan for the future, and exercise choice and control over their
lives.

Treasury Outcome 1 contributes to the following programs by making payments to the
states and territories under National Partnership agreements, National Specific Purpose
Payments (SPP) and bilateral agreements that support the delivery of the programs.

DSS contributes to improving the wellbeing and social and economic participation
of people with disability, their families and carers by administering programs such
as the Carers and Disability Employment program and by developing the policy and
legal framework for the NDIS in which the NDIA operates. Further, DSS drives the
implementation of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031, the NDIA has a
responsibility to apply the Strategy's Guiding Principles when considering program,
service or system so that they are appropriate and accessible for people with
disability.
This includes encouraging better collaboration between programs and services,
including with the NDIA's Early Childhood approach and NDIA Early Childhood
Partners, by leading the Early Childhood Targeted Action Plan to support
Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031; and implementing the National Early
Childhood Program for children with disability or developmental concerns.
DSS is responsible for the Information, Linkages and Capacity building (ILC)
program and continues to work closely with the NDIA to support the alignment
with NDIA's Local Area Coordinators. This work aims to ensure appropriate
referrals to information and support services in the community are being made,
including to ILC funded grant activities.
Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children
2021–2031 (Safe and Supported) aims to make significant and sustained progress in
reducing child abuse and neglect and its intergenerational impacts. The Safe and
Supported First Action Plan 2023-2026 and Safe and Supported Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan 2023-2026 were developed in partnership
with First Nations leaders and state and territory governments, and in close
collaboration with the non-government sector. The Action Plans were released on 31
January 2023.
Under Action 7 of the Safe and Supported First Action Plan, DSS will work with the
National Disability Insurance Agency, states and territories, First Nations leaders
and the non-government sector to ensure effective and timely responses for parents
and carers living with disability and children and young people with disability
and/or developmental concerns at risk of entering the child protection system, in
out-of-home care, or transitioning to adulthood from out-of-home care.

The linked programs provide for the delivery of the NDIS.

Outcome 1 contributes to the linked programs above by the provision of a range of
information, services and payments on behalf of the entities listed within Australia
and where applicable, overseas.