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Improving children's wellbeing
Over the past decade, our Centre has been driving research and advocacy efforts to enhance the conditions, policies, services, and systems that affect children’s mental health and wellbeing. The early years of life lay the foundations for healthy development and wellbeing during childhood and across the life-course. It is when children start to form relationships, learn, play and cope with challenges as they arise, and engage in education and their community as they grow.
Although many Australian children were already experiencing poor mental health before the pandemic, COVID-19 has bought new challenges, disproportionately affecting those already experiencing adversity. Without focused action that centres on the needs of children we risk an even more inequitable future for children and their families. So now is the time to place children front and centre of policy reform and initiate changes that deliver improvements in children’s mental health and wellbeing by focusing on prevention and early intervention. In recent months there has been progress to celebrate. The Victorian Government pledged $200 million to scale the Centre’s Mental Health in Primary School (MHiPS) project to 1800 primary schools and announced game changing reform to preschool in Victoria.
In this newsletter, we shine a light on action that can make a difference for children’s mental health and launch the Children’s Wellbeing Continuum—a tool to support conversations on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Don't forget to register for our upcoming free webinar exploring whether we can eliminate the impacts of congenital cytomegalovirus on children and families.
Webinar | Can we eliminate the impacts of congenital CMV?
Date: Tuesday 30 August 2022
Time: 12:30pm –1:30pm AEST
Cost: Free
Join us for our next Thriving Children, Thriving Communities webinar where we explore congenital CMV: what it is, how it affects children's healthy development and the efforts dedicated to identifying and reducing congenital CMV.
Panellists: Dr Valerie Sung, Dr Hayley Smithers-Sheedy, Emma Webb and Kate Daly
NEW Children's Wellbeing Continuum
The Centre has launched the Children's Wellbeing Continuum, a tool to support conversations about children's wellbeing, and early identification and action when children are struggling.
Why language matters for child mental health
In this MJA Insight article, Prof Frank Oberklaid and Dr Simone Darling discuss the importance of terminology in child mental health, and how a shared language will help to address the stigma experienced by families seeking help.
MHiPS to receive $200 million funding boost
The Mental Health in Primary Schools project funding boost will support 1800 Victorian primary schools to build their capacity in mental health.
Group facilitation training for mental health practitioners
The Department of Education and Training funded the Centre’s Training and Development team to deliver small group facilitation workshops to more than 150 mental health practitioners in Victorian secondary schools.
Preschool reform promises our children a better future
In an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald, Prof Sharon Goldfeld, CCCH Director, and Anne Hollonds, Australia's National Children's Commissioner, reflect on preschool reform in Victoria and outline its enormous benefits to children’s wellbeing, communities and the economy.
Sleep advice for parents
Why are parents told to put their baby to bed 'drowsy but awake'? Does it work? Drs Anna Price, Ashikin Mohd Nordin, Valerie Sung and Billy Garvey explore what the evidence says in an article published by The Conversation.
Car safety and children
Updated raisingchildren.net.au resources give parents and carers clear, practical information on child car seat requirements, as well as other car safety recommendations.
Thank you, Victoria!
GenV reached a huge milestone of 50,000 participants! All Victorian families are invited to participate to enable GenV to help solve problems like asthma, food allergies, obesity, and mental illness.
The Centre’s team is part of national and international efforts to advocate for equitable real-life improvements in children's health, development and wellbeing. Here are some recent media items showcasing our work.
Victoria announces $200 million boost for mental health support in primary schools, The Age, 21 June 2022
New bedtime books to help children fall and stay asleep, Today, 5 July 2022
Game-changing reform promises a better future for our children, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 2022
More mental health support for young Victorians, Premier of Victoria, 21 June 2022
The Centre’s academic papers share findings from our Health Services,
Policy & Equity and Prevention Innovation research groups. Here are some recent publications showcasing our work.
Leveraging research to drive more equitable reading outcomes: An update
Home reading and preschool interventions can reduce socioeconomic inequities in children’s reading skills and future health morbidity, but they are insufficient alone. There are opportunities to design and evaluate multilevel interventions needed to help drive systems towards equity in reading.
This study explored whether adult-derived polygenic scores (PGSs) are helpful in predicting common anthropometric traits (e.g. BMI) in children and adults, and whether childhood BMI prediction could be improved using PGSs and other non-genetic factors.
Multicountry review: developmental surveillance, assessment and care by outpatient paediatricians
Caring for young children with neurodevelopment disorders (NDDs) is a major component of paediatric outpatient practice, yet only limited studies have attempted to review cross-country practices. This study reviewed outpatient paediatrician practices related-to developmental assessment of young children (0-5 years) at risk of NDDs across five countries.
This systematic review reported on common dimensions of effective integrated hubs. They include: clinical integration (including case management, patient-centred care, patient education, and continuity of care), professional integration, and organisational integration including co-location. Incorporating effective integration elements into hubs could help to enhance mental health in children experiencing adversity.
Our online and eLearning courses for early childhood health, education, care and research professionals draw on our cutting-edge research and clinical work.
Our talented team of training professionals has expanded to deliver more courses across more locations throughout 2022 (including international), through both face-to-face and online facilitation. We are available to support your practice as you adapt to new and innovative ways of working. For more information visit: rch.org.au/ccch/training-dev
Upcoming CCCH course dates
8 August Introduction to the Family Partnership Model [Register]
23 August Difficult Conversations: How do we have them? [Register]
8 September Engaging Families [Register]
6 October Facilitating Online workshops [Register]
7 October PEDS workshop [Register]
12 October Family Partnership Model - Facilitators’ Refresher [Register]
5 October Family Partnership Model Supervision Course [Register]
eLearning courses
Infant Sleep [Enrol]
Laying the Foundations [Enrol]
Let's Read [Enrol]
PEDS Foundation (Course 1) & PEDS Advanced Practice (Course 2) [Enrol]
Understanding sleep and safe sleep practices in early childhood education and care [Enrol]
PEDS and Laying the Foundations eLearning courses are accredited for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.
Ask us about our customised training options. Email us at training.ccch@rch.org.au
Events
Gaming webinar: Raising Children Network’s August webinar will help families with children aged 11-16 years learn more about their child’s gaming and how to make the most of it. The session will be presented by Daniel Donahoo, who works with organisations, educators, parents and children to create safe, engaging digital experiences. Find out more and register here.
Date: Tuesday 16 August 2022
Time: 7pm-8pm AEST
Cost: Free
