By linking Government’s funding to quantifiable impacts both for people using the services as well as the service system, the EIIF guides investments to where timely assistance for Victorians will improve life outcomes for individuals and reduce pressure on acute services.
The 2024-25 Budget announced $1.1 billion for early intervention initiatives that will deliver targeted, effective assistance to address people’s needs. The Victorian Government has invested $2.7 billion through the EIIF to date, with more than $3 billion anticipated to be generated in economic and financial benefits.
These investments are estimated to generate benefits from both:
- improved client outcomes for Victorians across a range of different cohorts, including people experiencing homelessness, families whose children are at risk of being placed in care, disengaged young people and people living with acute mental illness or chronic health conditions
- system-wide impacts from reduced acute service usage which will be reinvested in future EIIF initiatives and improved outcomes for Victorians.
About the EIIF
With the EIIF now embedded in Victoria’s annual state budget process, Government aims to share more about its approach to early intervention.
The Framework paper discusses the origins of the EIIF, the importance of measuring impact through outcomes and avoided costs, and how Government is continuing to grow the EIIF’s effectiveness and re-balance the system toward more early intervention over time.
DTF addressed the seventh OECD World Forum on Well-being on Monday 5 November 2024, and shared lessons gained from embedding the EIIF into budget decision-making. The slides and a toolkit unpacking the key elements of the EIIF is below.
Find out more about the initiatives Government has funded to date through the EIIF:
EIIF Cultural Safety Framework
In the 2023-24 Budget the Government announced that the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) would develop a Cultural Safety Framework to underpin the EIIF.
The EIIF Cultural Safety Framework aims to improve outcomes for First Peoples, including through supporting culturally safe partnerships, improving the design and implementation of EIIF programs, and contributing to advancing self-determination.
Read more about this initiative on the EIIF Cultural Safety Framework page.
Client Pathways
The Victorian Government announced the Client Pathways initiative in the 2023-24 Budget in response to feedback that the social services sector would value greater public sharing of data. Client Pathways reports present data insights on the use of government services by people who are at risk of or experiencing social disadvantage.
Read more about this initiative on the Client Pathways reports page.
Tools and resources
Information and resources are available to support implementation of the EIIF. This includes guidance for developing EIIF proposals and supporting research.
Read more about this on the Tools and resources page.
Further information
For further information on EIIF, please contact earlyintervention@dtf.vic.gov.au.
Find out more about how the Victorian Government is also delivering Partnerships Addressing Disadvantage.
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