Thriving Kids Integrated Service Systems Collaborative

Purpose

To support adoption, innovation, and scaling of integrated and developmental service systems.

Partners

This initiative is facilitated by Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership with leaders and practitioners from Government, not-for-profits, and universities. This initiative is collaborating with The Bryan Foundation, Department of Education, the National Child and Family Hubs Network, Supporting Advocacy for Youth Collaborative and many others.

Imagine a welcoming 'front door' for services...

Our children thrive when we have access to the right supports and services, at the right time. 

However, most of us have experienced how time-consuming, expensive, confusing and exhausting it can be to navigate disjointed services, especially for multiple family members. 

Child and Family Hubs are designed to be like a ‘one-stop-shop’ or ‘front door’ for families – a welcoming place that brings together supports across health, education and social care, and even provides a safe space to build social connections.

There are approximately 300 Hubs across Queensland including in early years services, primary schools, community/non-government organisations, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, primary health care, and virtual/digital settings.

Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership aims to grow Child and Family Hubs across Queensland as a powerful way to make sure every family in every community gets the support they need. 

“Fundamentally, our systems are too often experienced by children, young people and families as disconnected or duplicative, wasteful and discordant. Too often our systems don’t work together to actually ‘serve’ – in the sense of enabling people to exercise agency and to be able to change their life circumstances and trajectory.” From Joint Project on Systems Leadership for Child and Youth Wellbeing: Stage 1 Synthesis Report. Every Child and ANZSOG – 2021

What we're already achieving

Together with our partners, we’ve:

  • Established the Thriving Kids Integrated Service Systems Collaborative with 38 diverse leaders
  • Strengthened connections with the National Child and Family Hubs Network (a national, multidisciplinary group hosted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and dedicated to strengthening Child and Family Hubs across Australia)
  • Co-created the Child and Family Hubs Framework to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of best-practice family hubs in the Queensland context and beyond. Consultation for the Framework involved more than 160 people across 6 innovation labs, 13 site visits, 10 interviews and 7 targeted consultations.

The Child and Family Hubs Framework is building on the important work of the National Child and Family Hubs Network to:

  • enhance partnerships and connections among key child and family-focused agencies across Queensland and potentially Australia
  • foster a common language and understanding regarding Child & Family Hubs
  • synthesise research, experience and learnings into an evidence-based practice framework.

As outlined in the National Child and Family Hubs Network’s Strategy 2024 – 2029, it will be used as the basis for developing a national practice framework as well as an evaluation framework. 

“The Network’s vision is that families are able to walk through a Child and Family Hub’s welcoming front door and receive the right care and support for the child and family at the right time, leading to improved and equitable health and development outcomes.”

Prof Sharon Goldfeld, National Child and Family Hubs Network Chair

How you can get involved

To find out more and talk about ways to get involved, contact us at sophie.morson@aracy.org.au.

Related links & documents

DOWNLOAD

Child and Family Hubs: An integrated means of enhancing equitable wellbeing for Australia’s children and families

This short document provides a brief overview of Child and Family Hubs and covers the following topics:

  • What are Hubs?
  • What is the impact of Hubs?
  • What are the core features of an effective Hub?
  • ARACY’s commitment to Child and Family Hubs
Child and Family Hubs Flyer FINAL_1.pdf
Child and Family Hubs Flyer FINAL_1.pdf
DOWNLOAD

Child and family hubs: an important ‘front door’ for equitable support for families across Australia

This National Child and Family Hubs Network paper explores the meaning of a ‘Child and Family Hub’ and identifies core components that underpin the delivery of these hubs that have emerged from Australian and international research. The authors propose opportunities to consider how hubs can become important ‘front doors’ to drive equitable access and quality service delivery across Australia. 

NCFHN Child and family hubs_ an important front door.pdf
NCFHN Child and family hubs_ an important front door.pdf
DOWNLOAD

National Child and Family Hubs Network Strategy 2024 - 2029

The National Child and Family Hubs Network (the Network) is a national, multidisciplinary group dedicated to strengthening Child and Family Hubs across Australia.

NCFHN Strategy 2024-2029.pdf
NCFHN Strategy 2024-2029.pdf

Thank you to our funding partner

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