Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

The Better Start to Life approach announced in the budget targets the health of Indigenous mothers and babies so children are given the best possible start to life. The government is committed to closing the gap by ending the cycle of disadvantage which starts with poor child health. Focusing on those critical early years means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children will get a positive foundation for life.

Through the $54 million investment in Better Start to Life New Directions: Mothers and Babies, the government will expand efforts in child and maternal health to support Indigenous children to be healthy and go to school. This expansion will mean that the sites will be increased from 85 to 137, and the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program will be expanded by $40 million to increase the sites from three to 13, with an absolute focus on this area.