Multicultural Storytime Program

In 2023-24, $6 million in grant funding was awarded to 25 community organisations and local councils to establish new Multicultural Storytimes across the state. This investment is part of the broader $86 million More support for mums, dads and babies initiative, announced in the 2023-24 State Budget.

The 25 organisations have been funded for four years (2023-24 to 2026-27) to deliver face-to-face and online storytime sessions.

Storytime sessions will be held in family-friendly locations such as libraries, community centres and gathering places.

Research shows reading regularly with children from a young age stimulates brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships while also building language, literacy and social-emotional skills.

Multicultural Storytime will build these skills while strengthening the connection Victorian children from multicultural communities have with their families, their language, their identity and their culture.

In addition, the program will provide families with culturally appropriate and evidence-based health information, including information on health services relevant to their local area.

Multicultural Storytime Program recipients