NDIA Accountability Project

Submission 110 — Raising Children Network — Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative

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Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry:\

Thriving Kids Initiative

Submitted by Raising Children Network (Australia) Limited

Contact: Derek McCormack
Position: Director, Raising Children Network
E: redacted

Cover notes:

  1. This submission is prepared solely for the purposes of the parliamentary inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative.
  2. Confidentiality Statement: This submission may be published in full.

Executive Summary

Raising Children Network (RCN) welcomes the opportunity to support the Thriving Kids Initiative (TKI) and respond to the Terms of Reference. Since 2006, RCN has been federally funded by the Department of Social Services to deliver Australia’s national, evidence-based parenting resource. With more than 35 million pageviews annually, RCN connects parents, carers and professionals with free, plain-language information across child health and development, including dedicated content domains on developmental delay, autism, ADHD and disability.

Our submission focuses on insights gained from almost two decades of operating a national platform with jurisdictional tailoring — a model that combines consistent, evidence-based information with local adaptation to meet the specific communication needs and checkpoints of each state and territory. This approach has been proven through integration into Baby Bundles, health portals, perinatal apps, school-based programs and community initiatives across all jurisdictions.

In this submission, we outline:

  • Existing RCN resources that already align with TKI priorities.
  • Key learnings from 20 years of experience engaging parents, jurisdictions and communities — including CALD and First Nations families.
  • Recommendations the Committee may wish to consider in shaping Thriving Kids, ensuring parents can access timely, trusted, and culturally relevant supports through pathways they already use.

With a strong track record of national delivery and local responsiveness, RCN welcomes the opportunity to reflect and share learning that can in turn support the Thriving Kids Initiative in building equitable, scalable and sustainable supports for families across Australia.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

About Raising Children Network

Raising Children Network (RCN) was established in 2006 through a collaboration between the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute specifically the Centre for Community Child Health and the Parenting Research Centre, with the support of the Australian Government Department of Social Services. It was Australia’s first federally funded national digital parenting initiative, designed to provide free, high-quality, evidence-based resources for all parents and carers. Since then, RCN has continually evolved, expanding content in line with parent and professional needs and adapting its delivery across digital platforms and channels to meet families where they are.

Today, the RCN website houses more than 3,000 resources developed through our rigorous research translation model. This ensures:

  • All content is grounded in scientific and practice evidence, reflecting parent information needs and help-seeking behaviours.
  • Development involves subject matter experts, lived experience voices and cultural advisers.
  • An independent Scientific Advisory Board reviews all content for accuracy and rigour.
  • Editorial framing prioritises inclusivity, accessibility and parent-friendly language, with all resources written to a Year 7 reading level or below.
  • Resources are reviewed on a 24-month cycle to maintain currency and trust.
  • Content is adapted and repackaged to meet the needs of CALD and First Nations families, including translations, easy English guides and Parenting-in-Pictures formats.

Beyond our core platform, RCN has been commissioned to develop tailored content suites — for example, NDIS resources for parents with disability navigating the scheme for their child, shaped through lived experience to ensure relevance and respect.

We also provide dedicated content domains across priority areas, including the First 1000 Days, developmental guides, Autism, ADHD and Disability. These domains underpin how we support Australian parents to understand, navigate and respond to their child’s needs.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

RCN’s strength lies not only in the reach and trust of our consumer-facing brand, but in how our messages are embedded in jurisdictional and community platforms. Our content is licensed or adapted across multiple state and national initiatives, including:

  • Victoria: Better Health Channel, Maternal and Child Health Green Book.
  • Tasmania: Health Blue Book, Health Department website.
  • South Australia: Office for Early Childhood Development, Early Years App, Words Grow Minds program.
  • Queensland: Health Department Connecting2U program, Department of Education initiatives.
  • Western Australia: Early Years Network, Brighter Tomorrows app.
  • Northern Territory: Stepping Stones app, Department of Education initiatives.
  • New South Wales: Health Blue Book, Brighter Beginnings Hub.
  • National partners: eSafety Commissioner, Office for Child Safety, UNICEF, Playgroups Australia, Connected Beginnings, Mission Australia, SNAICC, childcare software platforms and ECEC providers.

RCN is also an active member of the Australian Child and Family Supports Alliance (ACaFSA), alongside the Parenting Research Centre. Since 2024, we have provided national support across foundational support work in partnership with organisations such as SNAICC, Koorana, Playgroups Australia, and philanthropy partners committed to family wellbeing. These collaborations reinforce our ability to connect into the very networks and perspectives represented on the Thriving Kids Advisory Group.

The message is clear: Raising Children Network was a national investment in ensuring every parent can access high-quality, evidence-based parenting information. Over 19 years, we have iterated, learned and built deep partnerships across jurisdictions and communities. This infrastructure is ready to be leveraged to accelerate the impact of the Thriving Kids Initiative — giving parents the confidence of a trusted brand and the assurance they are supported.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

Alignment with Terms of Reference:

Raising Children Network recognises there is a strong body of academic evidence that will be platformed by our scientific partners in response to the Terms of Reference. We have chosen to focus our response on highlighting how our knowledge of supporting parents nationally, through working with jurisdictions and partners, offers insights and recommendations on the scope of the Terms of Reference.

1. Evidence-Based Information and Resources for Parents

Existing RCN supports and activity

  • Over 3,000 resources developed through a rigorous research translation model, grounded in science, expert-reviewed, guided by an independent Scientific Advisory Board, and written at a Year 7 reading level or below.
  • Dedicated content domains on developmental delay, autism, ADHD, disability and the First 1000 Days, helping parents recognise milestones, navigate services and support daily skill-building.
  • The Autism Therapies Guide evaluates 60+ therapies, covering evidence, cost and time requirements.
  • Resources reviewed for currency every 24 months to ensure accuracy and trust.

Key learnings

  • Parents respond best to plain-language, non-didactic resources rooted in developmental research and framed to respect individuality and autonomy.
  • Building parental capacity by offering everyday strategies and clear next steps strengthens confidence and improves child outcomes.
  • Neuro-affirming, strengths-based content is most effective when guided and co-designed with autistic people and families with lived experience.
  • Families increasingly turn to digital and social spaces for support; embedding evidence-based messages in these channels is essential.
  • Maintaining trust requires structured and ongoing content review; without this, initiatives often lose credibility and relevance.

Challenges & opportunities

  • Many families face long waits for diagnosis; RCN can extend its library of pre- and post-diagnosis supports.
  • Navigation remains a challenge; there is an opportunity for better online guidance to relevant and timely programs and supports.
  • Families, regardless of diagnosis stage, are seeking everyday supports related to their specific needs: friendships, routines, schooling, learning and more.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

  • Opportunities exist to explore interactive digital tools (e.g., milestone trackers, AI-driven support) to complement RCN’s library of quality information and build parent confidence.

2. Effectiveness of Current and Previous Programs and Initiatives

Existing RCN supports and activity

  • Federally funded since 2006, RCN delivers a national digital parenting initiative.
  • Operates a central resource, distributed delivery model, developing a robust national library of content for jurisdictional uptake and adaptation.
  • Embedded across Australia:
    • Queensland: Connecting2U, a QLD Health SMS-based program referring parents to RCN.
    • Victoria: Maternal and Child Health Green Book utilises RCN content and images.
    • Tasmania: Blue Book utilises RCN content and visuals.
    • South Australia: RCN content adapted for Early Years App, and utilised in Words Grow Minds initiative.
    • Western Australia: Brighter Tomorrows App (reaches over 75,000 families) and Communities Department Early Years Network.
    • Northern Territory: Health Department Stepping Stones App, Department of Education initiatives.
    • New South Wales: RCN resources used and linked to in Health Department Blue Book and Brighter Beginnings Hub.
  • National partnerships span: NDIS, eSafety Commissioner, UNICEF, Playgroups Australia, Connected Beginnings, Mission Australia, SNAICC.

Key learnings

  • Embedding resources across jurisdictional structures (apps, books, SMS, schools) drives greater reach than centralised websites alone.
  • Adaptability is key: states use the same content in different formats tailored to context.
  • Partnerships add value when RCN integrates with existing programs rather than duplicating.
  • Balancing national consistency with local flexibility builds trust and sustainability.

Challenges & opportunities

  • Variability in developmental surveillance across jurisdictions creates inequities; RCN can help harmonise national messaging.
  • Engagement can drop when responsibility shifts between departments (e.g., Health in the early years to Education at school entry). Improved transition supports are needed for parents.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

3. Equity and Intersectional Issues

Existing RCN supports and activity

  • Resources translated into 18+ languages, easy English guides and Parenting-in-Pictures guides for varying literacy levels.
  • Demonstrated partnerships with place-based service organisations, CALD communities and Aboriginal organisations for cultural adaptation and co-design.
  • Lived experience incorporated into content (e.g., NDIS resources for parents with disability).
  • RCN is proactively engaged with place-based initiatives across jurisdictions, including PHNs, the National Hubs Network and the eHubs Initiative led by our member organisation, The Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
  • Use of social media platforms (Facebook, TikTok) to reach younger CALD and First Nations parents.

Key learnings

  • Trust and cultural resonance matter: families engage more when content reflects their realities and is endorsed by local place-based organisations and messengers (teachers, librarians, health workers, support services).
  • Adaptation requires cultural sensitivity and flexibility, while maintaining consistent national evidence.
  • Families with lower literacy or digital access need visual and community-based tools alongside digital resources.

Challenges & opportunities

  • First Nations and CALD families often experience later diagnosis and reduced access to supports.
  • Scaling community-led dissemination through local champions and programs can strengthen equity and reach.
  • There is an opportunity to leverage the strong digital engagement of some CALD and First Nations communities on social networks, as demonstrated by partnerships with Rahma Health (Arabic-language) and the RCN supported ‘Raising Mob Our Way’ initiative.

4. Workforce Support and Training Gaps

Existing RCN supports & activity

  • Parent-facing resources aligned with professional training and CPD courses across sectors such as Maternal and Child Health, GPs, allied health, teacher associations, principals’ associations and tertiary education.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

  • Professionals use RCN as a trusted tool to reinforce consistent messages with families.
  • Recent projects have seen RCN create curated ‘Professional Toolkits’ for nurses, educators and paediatric health professionals, embedding RCN resources in frontline engagement.

Key learnings

  • Professionals value RCN because parents and practitioners access the same trusted source, reducing confusion.
  • Mapping RCN resources into training programs improves workforce capacity without duplication.
  • Professionals want practical scripts and ready-to-use resources to support conversations with families.

Challenges & opportunities

  • Many GPs and frontline professionals would like support in referring parents to information on development, early concerns and quality resources.
  • There may be an opportunity to expand RCN’s edutainment (education × entertainment) video model into workforce-facing microlearning modules integrated with professional associations.

5. Domestic and International Policy Experience and Best Practice

Existing RCN supports & activity

  • Content aligns with global standards including the WHO/UNICEF Nurturing Care Framework.
  • UNICEF Bebbo App partnership: RCN is the key content partner of UNICEF’s parenting app, Bebbo, which has been adapted and scaled to 19 countries and recived global recognition as a ‘Digital Public Good’.
  • Attracted interest from multiple international governments as an adaptable child health and parent communication model.

Key learnings

  • RCN is globally recognised for rigorous science translation and scalability.
  • The model can be successfully localised through culturally adapted, evidence-based communication.
  • Partnerships demonstrate the exportability and credibility of the RCN model.

Challenges & Opportunities

  • Australia’s federated system requires balancing international best practice with jurisdictional flexibility.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

  • RCN can act as a knowledge broker, aligning Australian reforms with global evidence.

6. Mechanisms for Seamless Transition Through Mainstream Systems

Existing RCN supports and activity

  • Content spans pregnancy through age 18, supporting parents across transitions.
  • Embedded into health (Baby Bundles, MCH), education (school resources), and community (playgroups, libraries, apps) systems.
  • Integration without overt RCN branding ensures consistent national messaging across platforms.

Key learnings

  • Parents thrive with consistent messages across touchpoints, particularly during transitional phases (0–5, primary school, high school).
  • Embedding resources in community-based entry points reduces drop-offs and improves continuity.
  • Opt-in light-touch engagement (newsletters, milestone alerts, app notifications) sustains parent connection beyond diagnosis.
  • RCN’s role is to guide, not replace professionals — helping families navigate services and sustain support post-diagnosis.

Challenges & opportunities

  • Fragmentation persists when families receive different advice across sectors.
  • TKI can leverage RCN to provide one national evidence base, and support a distributed model connected in with health and education across all states and territories.

Hub Southern Cross
Level 2, Office 3116
696 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000

Conclusion

Raising Children Network recognises that this is a time of uncertainty for many families, particularly those who have fought tirelessly to advocate for and support their child in accessing NDIS supports. The transition to new systems will inevitably raise questions and concerns.

Our hope is that RCN can be a trusted part of the puzzle in this reform: delivering high-quality, evidence-based resources that help parents and carers feel seen, heard and supported. With nearly two decades of experience as Australia’s national parenting resource, and a strong infrastructure already embedded across jurisdictions and communities, RCN is ready to contribute to Thriving Kids by:

  • Equipping families with consistent, strengths-based, neuro-affirming information.
  • Ensuring parents have the tools and confidence to support their child’s individuality, autonomy and development.
  • Working alongside jurisdictions, services and communities to embed resources in trusted pathways.

As Thriving Kids takes shape, we are committed to helping ensure every parent and carer, regardless of where they live or their background, has access to the knowledge, guidance and reassurance they need so their children can thrive.