Submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and DisabilityBy Dr Louise Metcalf, Psychologist and Creator of GheorgThriving Kids Initiative – Executive Summary Childhood mental health and learning disorders are among the most pressing challengesfacing Australian families. One in seven children experience a mental health condition, andlearning disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia, and processing difficulties remainunderdiagnosed and undertreated. These issues profoundly affect school engagement,family wellbeing, and long-term health outcomes.Australia has world-leading researchers and innovators, yet systemic risk aversion in healthand education means many effective solutions remain ‘on the shelf.’ Gheorg (gheorg.com),an Australian-founded startup, has been supported in the United States and is integratinginto US health systems, yet remains underutilised in Australia.To unlock solutions, the Thriving Kids Initiative must embed innovation pathways and fundrigorous research (RCTs, longitudinal studies) to build confidence and adoption. Existinguniversity innovation programs, such as Health 10x at UNSW, can provide the expertise toguide safe integration of innovations into health and education systems.Key Recommendations
- Establish a dedicated research and innovation fund for childhood mental health andlearning disorder tools, covering RCTs and implementation trials.2. Create a national adoption framework with specialised guidance for schools and healthservices to integrate innovations safely.3. Partner with university innovation programs (e.g. Health 10x at UNSW) to bridgeresearch, startups, and system adoption.4. Build procurement pathways enabling smaller child-focused innovators to contribute tonational systems.5. Develop a national registry of validated tools for policymakers, clinicians, and educators.Australia risks losing homegrown innovations to overseas systems while children here wait.By funding innovation, rigorous research, and adoption frameworks, the Thriving KidsInitiative can ensure Australian children benefit first from Australian-developed solutions.
Submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability
Thriving Kids Initiative – Detailed Submission
by Dr Louise Metcalf, Psychologist and Creator of Gheorg
Executive Summary Childhood mental health and learning disorders are central to whether children thrive at school, in families, and in society. Solutions exist today, yet they are not reaching children because of systemic barriers to innovation adoption. The Thriving Kids Initiative can change this by funding innovation, supporting rigorous research, and creating adoption
Context: frameworks. Mental Health and Learning Disorders
- One in seven Australian children experience a mental health condition, with significant impacts on learning and wellbeing.
- Learning disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum conditions are often detected late, after major disruption.
- Access to professional support is constrained by long waitlists, workforce shortages, and geographic inequities.
- Families, schools, and health systems need innovative tools to detect and manage these
Case Example: conditions Gheorg earlier and more effectively. Gheorg (gheorg.com) is an Australian-founded startup providing AI-enhanced tools for children aged 7–12 to manage anxiety, depression, and learning-related challenges. Its tools support early detection and resilience building while families wait for professional services.
Gheorg has been supported in the United States and is currently integrating into US health systems. In contrast, Australia has been slow to adopt these innovations, largely due to systemic risk aversion in health and education sectors. This is not a failure of innovation,
Recommendations but a lack of adoption pathways.
- Dedicated Innovation & Research Fund:
- Fund RCTs, longitudinal studies, and implementation trials focused on childhood mental health and learning disorder innovations.
- Ensure funding supports both product development and the research required for adoption.
- National Trials & Adoption Framework:
- Establish a pipeline: pilot → RCT → scale-up.
- Provide specialised adoption guidance for schools, clinicians, and health systems.
- Leverage University Innovation Expertise:
- Partner with university-based innovation programs such as Health 10x at UNSW.
- Use these programs to bridge research, startups, and safe system adoption.
- Procurement and Partnership Models:
- Enable smaller, child-focused innovators to work with schools and health services.
- Encourage partnerships between startups, universities, and research institutes.
- Evidence Translation:
- Develop a national registry of validated child mental health and learning disorder tools.
- Ensure trial results inform national education and health policy.
Risks, Challenges & Mitigation
| Challenge | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Risk aversion in health and education | Provide national adoption guidance; use university partners like Health 10x to manage research and risk management |
| needs | |
| Lack of RCT evidence | Fund targeted RCTs and longitudinal studies |
| Data privacy concerns | Ensure robust governance, ethics oversight, and compliance with child data protections through University ethics committees |
| Digital divide | Provide subsidised access, offline versions, and hybrid digital/in-person models |
Conclusion
Australia risks exporting homegrown solutions like Gheorg overseas while children here wait. By embedding innovation, rigorous research, and structured adoption frameworks into the Thriving Kids Initiative, the Committee can ensure Australian children benefit first from Australian-developed solutions. This is not about taking risks with children—it is about providing safe, evidence-based, and innovative tools to help every child thrive.