This study is aiming to improve children’s mental health and wellbeing outcomes by improving parents/carers confidence and ability to nurture childhood flourishing.
Despite the number of children entering school with social and developmental delays, parents and caregivers frequently find it challenging to access early childhood services across their communities.
Provision of accessible, targeted supports in the early years are critical to reduce the rising number of children entering school with social and emotional delays, including undiagnosed neurodevelopment disorders and poor mental health.
The Flourishing Child will be supporting families to identify the areas where their child needs more support to flourish through our newly developed ‘Flourishing Check’ and by increasing the uptake of existing local services and programs through our Pathway Tool.
Who can participate?
We are looking for 600 parents and carers that fit the below criteria:
- You're a parent or carer of a child aged 0 to 5 years old (including children up to their 6th birthday)
- You live in the Perth metropoitan area - particularly those that live in Joondalup and Wanneroo
What does participation involve?
If you choose to participate, you will be required to take part in the below activities that will take between 2 to 3 hours over a 6 month period.
All participants will be reimbursed for their time.
- Answer some general questions about yourself, for example, your age, your relationship to the child, your ethnicity, and residential suburb).
- Complete some online questionnaires at the beginning of the project and again six months later.
- Complete a newly developed questionnaire, The Flourishing Check, addressing flourishing in early childhood, with the opportunity to provide feeback on usability.
- Participants will then be randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) to one of two groups. Neither you nor the investigator will be able to choose which group you will be in:
Group 1 - Pathway Tool Group: You will receive the 'Pathway Tool' which will contain a wide range of information such as links to evidence-based programs running in your local area as well as other useful online resources.
Group 2 - Control Group: You will continue to receive your usual care. A small selection of participants will be invited to complete the 'Flourishing Check' again a few weeks later.
At the end of the project, the controll group will also receive the 'Pathway Tool'. All of the above questionnaires can be completed electronically on your personal device and from the comfort of your home at a time that suits you. - A focus group will be conducted with a small selection of participants to understand how you used the 'Pathway Tool' and your experiences with the supports.
We ask that the same parent complete each questionnaire for the same child.
What are the benefits of participating?
To compensate for your time and effort, all participants will be reimbursed with a e-gift voucher via email at relevant time points:
- $40 - Completing the first set of standard questionnaires and the Flourishing Check
- $20 - Completing questionnaires 6 months after enrolling in the project
- $20 - Pathway Tool group: Completing a questionnaire on using the Pathway Tool
- $20 - Control group: Re-completing the Flourishing Check a few weeks later
The intervention group will also have the opportunity to participate in a focus group, reimbursed at $50 per hour.
Additionally, by the end of the study, all participants will benefit from receiving information from the ‘Pathway Tool’ which will help you discover programs in your local area that can enhance childhood flourishing.
How to get involved?
Register your expression of interest here.
For more information, read the Participant Information Brochure or contact The Flourishing Child team below:
- Phone: +61 8 6319 1000
- Email: jackie.davis@thekids.org.au