Access the Toolkit here Early Years Toolkit for Multilingual Families
Supporting language, belonging and early literacy in Victorian public libraries
Victoria is one of the most linguistically diverse places in Australia, with many young children growing up hearing and using more than one language at home. Public libraries play a vital role in welcoming these families, supporting early literacy, and creating spaces where children’s languages and identities are valued.
The Early Years Toolkit for Multilingual Families in Victorian Public Libraries is a statewide resource developed by Public Libraries Victoria to support libraries to deliver inclusive, language‑rich early years programs for children aged 0–5 and their families.
About the toolkit
This toolkit brings together practical guidance, delivery models, tools and real‑world examples to help library staff confidently support multilingual families in everyday programming. It recognises that families’ home languages are a strength, and that strong foundations in home languages support children’s early literacy, communication and wellbeing.
Designed to be flexible and practical, the toolkit can be used by libraries of all sizes, across metro, regional and rural Victoria.
Why a statewide toolkit?
Across Victoria, libraries are highly motivated to support multilingual families, but access to bilingual and multilingual early years programming has been uneven. Common challenges include:
- staff confidence and capacity
- sourcing high‑quality multilingual resources
- access to presenters and community partners
- uncertainty about best practice in bilingual delivery
This toolkit responds to those challenges by providing a shared foundation for practice, reducing duplication across the sector and supporting more consistent, equitable access to inclusive early years programs.
What the toolkit provides
The toolkit supports libraries across the full cycle of early years delivery, including:
- Multilingual program delivery models
Staff‑led, partner‑led and co‑delivery models with simple run sheets, facilitation cues and session structures. - Intercultural and culturally safe practice
Practical guidance on welcoming multilingual families, supporting trauma‑aware facilitation, and creating low‑pressure, inclusive environments for children and caregivers. - Collections and discovery guidance
Support for selecting quality bilingual picture books, improving signage and wayfinding, and helping families confidently find resources in their languages. - Communications and outreach tools
Plain English messaging, community language openers, visual communication guidance and partner‑led outreach strategies. - Templates and tools
Ready‑to‑use resources including facilitator scripts, partnership agreements, reflection tools, mini surveys and book selection checklists. - Victorian case studies
Real examples from libraries across the state demonstrating effective bilingual, multilingual and intercultural early years practice.
Who is this toolkit for?
This resource is for all Victorian public libraries, whether multilingual delivery is:
- part of a dedicated multicultural strategy, or
- embedded across everyday storytimes, playgroups and early years programs
It is designed for staff working in children’s services, community engagement, collections, outreach and partnerships.
Alignment with Victorian priorities
The toolkit aligns with key Victorian frameworks and priorities, including the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), Best Start, Best Life reforms, and the Libraries for Health and Wellbeing Framework. It supports libraries to demonstrate their contribution to early literacy, family engagement, identity, communication and community wellbeing.
Developed by and for the sector
Supported by the Victorian Government, this toolkit was created in partnership with library professionals across Victoria, combining lived experience, sector knowledge and evidence‑informed practice to reflect real‑world library delivery and support continuous improvement statewide.
Access the toolkit
The Early Years Toolkit for Multilingual Families in Victorian Public Libraries is available to all Victorian public libraries and includes downloadable templates, tools and resources.
Access the Toolkit here Early Years Toolkit for Multilingual Families