Thriving Kids Strategic Framing Initiative

Purpose

Shift how the public – including decision-makers practitioners, parents and caregivers – understand and support ‘what matters’ and ‘what works’ for children by enabling broad use of evidence-based framing. 

Partners

This initiative is jointly led by Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership and the Queensland Family and Child Commission in collaboration with the State Library Queensland, Children’s Health Queensland, Department of Education, Raising Children Network, together with Queensland agencies and not-for-profit organisations.

Our messaging matters

Our words, images and stories are powerful tools to build positive change for all Queensland children.

By using framing evidence, we can shift public understanding, generate helpful narratives and support for better policies, and engage the whole community in our work.

Together with our partners we’re exploring, sharing, and putting into practice the growing evidence about how best to talk about – or frame – child development and wellbeing. 

The Thriving Kids Strategic Framing Initiative aims to connect people and organisations, collate the most relevant information, and support each other to communicate effectively to drive change. 

What we're already achieving

So far, with our partners we’ve: 

Connected people & shared information:

  • Engaged the FrameWorks Institute as a critical friend to support our work. 
  • Set up a Framing Community of Practice dedicated to learning about framing principle. This engaged 30+ individuals from government departments, peak bodies, and not-for-profit community services, arts and communication professionals.  
  • Promoted the Telethon Kids Institute‘s Core Story for Early Childhood Development and Learning recommendations and online course
  • Set up a Framing Champions group of 22 key executive leaders from 12 organisations in Queensland. The group is working together to build a shared language as they advocate for children and young people. Already the group is adapting their messaging for children and young people and encouraging others to adopt framing principles. 
  • Shared framing information via webinars and events including the ARACY-hosted webinar Framing for Change: Communicating to improve outcomes for children, young people and families.

Developed resources to support framing:

The Thriving Kids Queensland Partnership Framing Initiative has been beneficial to the QFCC and broader sector, and has personally changed the impact of my communication. The initiative has assisted the QFCC to better convey systemic actions needed to support children and families, which aligns with our legislated function. I have personally applied the framing concepts to many of my media and public appearances, and across the last 12 months coverage featuring my key messages has grown from 608 to 2,300 unique stories. This significant growth reflects the power of framing, and journalists have commented on the ‘fresh and honest perspective’ that the Commission brings to public debate on complex social issues. I see great benefit in continuing to support this initiative across the sector. 

Luke Twyford is the Chief Executive and Principal Commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC)

Framing for Change Community of Practice members are saying: 

“I’ve really enjoyed being part of the core study group and the broader practice. We have a lot to do; it has really opened our eyes to the work our organisation needs to do to implement this.” 

“I have established new connections and awareness of evidence-based framing strategies which I can practically implement in the work we are doing as part of the reform agenda in the First 2000 Days space, particularly around concepts of vulnerability and the tendency to fall into ‘othering’ when we try to highlight the significance or urgency of an issue/inequity.”

“This group has been fantastic for me, making sure framing is in the start of all our discussions.” 

How you can get involved

Framing is for every single one of us who has conversations about children from conception to young adulthood.  

To find out more and talk about ways to get involved, contact Naomi Brown at naomi.brown@aracy.org.au.

Keen to jump in and learn more? 

Related links & documents

LINK

Framing for Change Learning Hub

There’s a LOT of great framing research out there. The Learning Hub collates the most relevant information and makes it easy for you to find and use – regardless of where you are on your framing journey. 

DOWNLOAD

Core Story for Early Childhood Development and Learning online course

This simple toolkit and online course is useful for all of us who talk about early childhood development and learning – including healthcare workers, educators, policy makers, researchers, advocates and media.

Framing the Core Story of Early Childhood Cover
Framing the Core Story of Early Childhood Cover
DOWNLOAD

Framing Initiative Theory of Change

See how this initiative is building wide public support for the social change needed for all Queensland children and young people to thrive now and in the future no matter where they live.

FINAL Framing Initiative Theory of Change.pdf
FINAL Framing Initiative Theory of Change.pdf

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