What We Do / Our Initiatives
Thriving Queensland Kids Early Childhood Development Better Systems Roadmap
Purpose
To increase public, policy and practice focus in the first 3000 days of children’s lives.
Partners
This initiative is facilitated by Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership with support from a cross-sectoral working group of leaders from government agencies, not-for-profits and universities. Support has also been provided by Accenture, and we have engaged with the Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network, the Early Years Catalyst, and Centre for Policy Development’s Early Childhood Development Council.
Early years matter
For Queensland’s children to thrive we need to support their development and learning, from conception onwards. This improves their health and wellbeing, both now and throughout their lives.
At present, Queensland doesn’t yet have well-integrated systems to provide supports across the early years of every child’s life. This means that – at the beginning of each year – at least one child in every four is starting school already behind on expected health and development milestones.
Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership aims to create and connect systems across Queensland to support the specific needs of every child in every community, as early as possible.
This will create a healthier society, both now and in the future.
What we're already achieving
Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership is working in the early years space to:
- identify systems issues & boost public and policy focus on & investment in the first 1000-3000 days
- facilitate alignment across organisations & sectors at local, regional, state & national levels
- engage & support early years catalysts and innovators.
So far we’ve:
- Established a working group to better understand Queensland’s early years systems.
- Developed the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership submission to the Queensland Government’s draft Putting Queensland Kids First plan, which influenced the plan and helped guide other organisation’s submissions and future advocacy.
- Published the report Making the most of the First 2000 Days – A roadmap for a better Queensland child development system that changes the odds, closes the gaps and improves outcomes for Queensland’s youngest and their families (the Roadmap).
- With our partners, we’re using the Roadmap to evolve early years strategies at state and national levels.
“I am so proud to be a part of this and words cannot describe how appreciative I am of the energy, knowledge and urgency you are bringing to this space.” – Leadership Table member comment on our Putting Queensland Kids First submission.
“The thriving kids submission was incredibly detailed and very helpful to me pulling this [individual submission] together.” – ECEC provider comment on our Putting Queensland Kids First submission.

How you can get involved
Supporting children in the early years involves all parts of our community.
To find out more and talk about ways to get involved, contact Roger Meany on roger.meany@aracy.org.au.
Keen to jump in and learn more?
- Read the Roadmap ‘Making the most of the First 2000 Days’
- Read our submission to the Queensland Government’s draft Putting Queensland Kids First plan
- Read the summary of Insights into Queensland’s early childhood development service system – a rapid review prepared by Accenture to support our work.
Advocating for action and investment – We invite you to use the recommendations from our submission to the Queensland Putting Queensland Kids First Plan to inform your submissions and policy work, and to join us in continuing to advocate for these actions and investments.
Related links & documents
DOWNLOAD
Making the most of the First 2000 Days - A roadmap for a better Queensland child development system
A roadmap for a better Queensland child development system that changes the odds, closes the gaps and improves outcomes for Queensland’s youngest and their families. Endorsed by 20 sector leaders, the roadmap offers 9 priority actions and 7 priority investments to support Queensland children in the early years.

PDF 1.5MB

DOWNLOAD
Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership submission to the Queensland Government's draft Putting Queensland Kids First plan - February 2024
Includes recommendations to increase focus on:
- cross-sectoral and whole-of-community work
- system settings re: leadership, workforce, data, public engagement
- ecological approach
- childrens’ and care-givers’ voices and experiences
- workforce and organisational issues

PDF 1.5MB

DOWNLOAD
Insights into Queensland's early childhood development service system - Summary
Commissioned by Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, Accenture conducted a rapid review of Queensland’s early childhood development service system. The process involved bringing together insights from a survey and interviews of TQKP stakeholders, alongside quantitative analysis and desktop research.


OUR INITIATIVES
WHAT WE DO
Who's already onboard
Organisations who endorsed the Roadmap:
- 54 Reasons
- Act for Kids
- Brisbane South PHN
- Brisbane Youth Service
- CheckUP Australia
- Community Hubs Brisbane
- Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN
- Hand Heart Pocket Foundation
- Laidley District State School
- Little Sparklers
- Play Matters Australia
- The Bryan Foundation
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland
- QUT
- The John Villiers Trust
- University of Southern Queensland
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation
Looking for more?
Search the resource library for reports, submission, articles, videos, webinars and more to inspire you and build your knowledge and confidence to create change!
More Initiatives
Pathway Card Heading Will Go Here
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur dim to adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec amet ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Pathway Card Heading Will Go Here
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur dim to adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec amet ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Pathway Card Heading Will Go Here
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur dim to adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec amet ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Pathway Card Heading Will Go Here
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur dim to adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec amet ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
You should know...

Explainer video: "What surrounds us shapes us"
This short explainer video introduces the Resilience Scale and ARACY’s The Nest framework as models to help understand how experiences and environments shape children’s health and development.

Partnerships charter
Our Charter clearly sets out the partnership’s shared goals, values and ways of working to improve systems for Queensland’s children. We invite you to review the Charter and join us if you support our shared vision for Queensland kids.

Report: Queensland Place-Based Rivermap
The Queensland Place-Based Rivermap proposes systemic actions to support our many place-based initiatives. Let’s work together to create local conditions that are good for families and kids.