Universal Settings: Can A Kindergarten Be A Site Of Earlier Intervention Into Family Violence? Ask ChatGPT
Tracks
Room 3: In-Person Only
| Tuesday, November 25, 2025 |
| 1:35 PM - 2:05 PM |
Overview
Mandy Baxter, Meli Kindergarten Services
Details
1. The pilot demonstrates the power of integrated service delivery—bringing together early childhood education and family violence support. By aligning the expertise of educators with that of therapeutic practitioners, Meli is creating a more holistic, responsive model that addresses both educational and safety needs of children and families.
2. Early childhood education settings are critical touchpoints for family violence intervention
3. Families experiencing violence may not seek help through traditional services. Embedding specialist support within familiar, trusted environments like kindergartens offers a non-threatening, accessible pathway—especially for women—into safety and therapeutic services.
Speaker
Ms Mandy Baxter
Director, Children's Services
Meli Kindergarten Services
Universal Settings. Can a kindergarten be a site of earlier intervention into family violence?
Presentation Overview
Meli Kindergartens support nearly 3,000 children each year, laying the foundation for lifelong learning through play, connection, and discovery of self and others. While many children thrive, others face significant challenges—particularly those impacted by family violence. These experiences can disrupt a child’s ability to participate fully in kindergarten and disrupts their safety and wellbeing.
Meli recognises that early childhood educators are uniquely placed to notice signs of harm, but they need the right tools and support. In kindergartens, this can be complex—class sizes are large, the primary focus is on teaching, and many children face additional barriers such as disability or developmental delay.
To address this, Meli is piloting a 12-month early intervention project at two kindergarten sites. This initiative, a collaboration between Meli Kindergartens and Meli’s Family Safety and Therapeutic Services, aims to:
• Build the confidence and capability of educators to identify and respond to signs of family violence.
• Provide a ‘soft entry’ point for parents and carers—often women—who may be concerned about their own or their children’s safety, offering onsite or outreach support from specialist practitioners.
A developmental evaluation will guide the pilot, helping to assess outcomes and inform future expansion.
Can early childhood settings become a gateway to safety and support? Can earlier intervention prevent harm and help families stay engaged in education? Meli is committed to finding out.
Meli recognises that early childhood educators are uniquely placed to notice signs of harm, but they need the right tools and support. In kindergartens, this can be complex—class sizes are large, the primary focus is on teaching, and many children face additional barriers such as disability or developmental delay.
To address this, Meli is piloting a 12-month early intervention project at two kindergarten sites. This initiative, a collaboration between Meli Kindergartens and Meli’s Family Safety and Therapeutic Services, aims to:
• Build the confidence and capability of educators to identify and respond to signs of family violence.
• Provide a ‘soft entry’ point for parents and carers—often women—who may be concerned about their own or their children’s safety, offering onsite or outreach support from specialist practitioners.
A developmental evaluation will guide the pilot, helping to assess outcomes and inform future expansion.
Can early childhood settings become a gateway to safety and support? Can earlier intervention prevent harm and help families stay engaged in education? Meli is committed to finding out.
Biography
Mandy Baxter, Director of Children’s Services at Meli, lives and works on Wadawurrung Country. With 18 years of senior leadership experience in education, social services, and disability, she now oversees 31 Meli Kindergartens across Victoria’s Barwon region, supporting 3,000 children annually. Mandy is passionate about ensuring all children, especially those facing systemic barriers like family violence, access early education. She champions universal, inclusive approaches and is exploring whether early childhood settings can support earlier intervention into family violence. Meli is piloting a project integrating its Family Safety and Therapeutic Services with its Kindergartens to investigate this important question.
