Commonwealth Early Years Strategy and Summit

Prof Sharon Goldfeld will join an Advisory Panel to inform the development of a Commonwealth Early Years Strategy — aiming to ensure all children get the best start in life. 

Victoria's Senior Aus of the Year

We are thrilled to congratulate Prof Frank Oberklaid on being awarded Victoria’s Senior Australian of the Year 2023 for his internationally recognised career in children’s health and development.

Building it back different

Prof Sharon Goldfeld, Prof Pasi Sahlberg and their colleagues have published a paper exploring how schools can be multi-opportunity platforms to ensure equitable life outcomes for all children.

New job opportunity with MHiPS 

The Mental Health in Primary Schools team are seeking a passionate and experienced Data Manager to oversee data operations, management and governance. Applications close 9 December 2022.

Schools as community service platforms: the next frontier?

In this University of Melbourne Dean's Lecture Series recording, Prof Frank Oberklaid explores why schools are critical to an improved service system that better responds to the needs of children and families.

Educator wellbeing and family engagement during COVID-19

A collaborative project has launched new resources to help early childhood education and care services use co-design to address local challenges and share helpful strategies to support educator wellbeing and family engagement during COVID-19.

Minimising inequities in child hearing health services

Assoc. Prof Valerie Sung has been awarded a $1.4 million NHMRC grant to establish a child hearing registry to ensure no deaf or hard-of-hearing child falls through the cracks and to generate evidence to inform current and future hearing policies.  

NEW Family Partnership Model Community of Practice

Have you completed the Family Partnership Model (FPM) Foundation Course? Are you interested in learning from other FPM alumni? Come and join the inaugural FPM Community of Practice launching in 2023.

Empowering parents, empowering communities

Our latest Thriving Children, Thriving Communities webinar explored resources and strategies to help young people and families access the mental health support they need. Watch the recording.

Early childhood intervention 

Dr Tim Moore is part of a group that has launched a new organisation for Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention (PRECI).

Celebrating MHiPS achievements

The MHiPS Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders and project affiliates came together at the MHiPS end-of-year conference to celebrate and reflect on the year's successes and achievements.

Planning a holiday with children

With summer just around the corner, many people have started to think about their annual summer holiday. But holidays with children can need extra planning. Raisingchildren.net.au has lots of practical resources that help parents understand and meet their children’s needs when travelling away from home. 

Living well with global developmental delay

Dr Tim Moore has been part of a three-year project to develop web-based resources for children living with developmental delay and their families. The Living Well with Global Developmental Delay website is now live. Check it out.

The feasibility of a Child and Family Hub within Victorian Community Health services: a qualitative study

Community health services staff and government policy makers participated in semi-structured interviews exploring: 1) barriers and facilitators for implementing a hub; 2) feasibility of a proposed integrated hub; and 3) resources needed to scale and sustain a hub. The findings will inform scaling of hub models across Victoria.

Preferences of parents for mental health services to suit children with chronic medical conditions

The findings of this study revealed specific approaches to tackle the high levels of unmet needs in children with chronic medical conditions such as equipping medical specialists to recommend mental health providers, and training mental health providers on the impacts of chronic medical conditions on children.

Targeted screening for congenital cytomegalovirus: A micro‐costing analysis

This study aimed to determine the cost and potential cost-savings of delivering a targeted congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screening program through a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program. The study found that targeted screening for cCMV provides families the opportunity to detect and, if appropriate, treat cCMV in the first month of life in line with current recommendations. It falls within the range between cost neutral and cost saving.

A scoping review of data used as evidence in policies promoting the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Northern Territory

Specific data items and/or indicators should be explicitly referenced as evidence used in the development of policies promoting the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their communities from the outset so that evaluation is clear and policymakers are held accountable. However, in this scoping review the source of data being used as evidence was unclear or absent in 10 of the 49 (20.4%) identified policy documents. 

Governor's Lecture Series 

Prof Sharon Goldfeld joins a panel of speakers from across the Murdoch Children's Research Institute to explore current challenges facing Australia's children, including the indirect impacts of COVID-19 and emerging solutions. Register for the free lecture.

When: 30 November 2022, 6pm AEDT. 
Where: Government House, Victoria.