Sanobar Allaqaband, community engagement officer, Greater Shepparton Communities for Children; Belinda Whitelaw, Best Start co-ordinator; Sarah Pain, data, monitoring and evaluation lead, Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project; Amy Robinson, executive officer, Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project; and Kirsten Green, manager, Greater Shepparton Communities for Children.
The Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project, Best Start and Greater Shepparton Communities for Children have announced the launch of the 2025 State of Greater Shepparton’s Children Report — now available in an accessible digital format.
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This evolution builds on the success of the 2014 and 2019 reports, which provided critical insights into the wellbeing of children and young people across the region.
For the first time, the report has been delivered as an online dashboard, made possible through a partnership with Seer Data and Analytics.
Unlike previous printed reports, this digital transition ensures that data remains dynamic, accessible and actionable for decision-makers, service providers and the broader community.
The dashboard also includes case studies and video content, offering deeper local context alongside the data.
Greater Shepparton Communities for Children community engagement officer Sanobar Allaqaband has been a key driver of the 2025 report and welcomes the transition to a digital format.
“Having the data on a web-based platform means the information can be updated over time. Ultimately, these updates can occur regardless of the ongoing involvement of any of the current partner organisations,” Ms Allaqaband said.
“Data is a key element in driving equitable change. It allows those working across sectors to understand needs, measure impact, and advocate strongly for change.”
The 2025 report has also evolved to include the ARACY Nest framework, a nationally recognised model that organises data into six key domains: Being Loved and Safe, Being Healthy, Learning, Participating, Having Material Basics, and Having a Positive Sense of Identity and Culture.
These categories provide a holistic view of children’s wellbeing, helping to identify and address key community priorities.
Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project data, monitoring and evaluation manager Sarah Pain explained the value of this approach:
“The ARACY Nest framework provides us with a strengths-based common language to support all aspects of childhood wellbeing,” she said.
“It anchors our work and enables flexible data sharing and collaborative responses, ensuring children and families remain at the centre of data-informed change.”
Having worked on all three reports, Best Start co-ordinator Belinda Whitelaw emphasised the power of tracking and sharing this data to empower the community.
“Data is a powerful tool that helps us understand how we are tracking as a community across a wide range of domains. It allows us to plan and prioritise our efforts where they are most needed,” she said.
The digital dashboard can be accessed via each of the partnering organisation's websites.
