News & Events
Maree Walk appointed chair of Parenting Research Centre Board
The Parenting Research Centre welcomes new Board chair and members
2022 – Year in review
We wrap up the year with the release of our 2022 Parenting Today in Victoria survey results, giving us insight into the concerns, needs and behaviours of parents.
Parents are under pressure, and we can’t just blame the pandemic
19 December, 2011: Media release. The latest Parenting Today in Victoria survey results have been released, giving us insight into how parents are faring and how we can strengthen and improve our support.
Parenting Research Centre publications 2022
Read about the valuable research reports published by Parenting Research Centre team in 2022.
Global Congress to inspire innovation in support
Abstract submissions are now open for the International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, to be held in June, 2023.
smalltalk program receives funding boost to explore national rollout
6 October, 2022: Media release. Improving the learning outcomes of young children living in families able to benefit from additional support is the focus of funding recently awarded to our smalltalk program.
Four steps to measure parent efficacy
5 Spetember, 2022: Measure a parent’s sense of self-efficacy faster, with a shorter version of the Me as a Parent scale (MaaPs).
New look and website for MyTime
14 July, 2022: One of PRC’s flagship projects, MyTime, has unveiled an exciting new brand and website.
NGO Telepractice Venture supporting the transition to hybrid models of service delivery
Families needing access to important support services around Australia continue to be supported by the findings and outcomes of the NGO Telepractice Venture.
Free event: Embedding evidence – an introduction to frameworks and tools for practice change
Learn what it takes to define outcomes, set up a measurement tool and manage data in a way that it is not a burden for your colleagues, your team or the families/children that you are working with at our free training event.
The importance of play: New videos show the benefits of the Play Learn Grow program
Do you work with Victorian parents of two- and three-year-olds? You might like to recommend the Play Learn Grow free text message-based parenting support program.
Putting families at the centre: Our research at the AIFS Conference
Members of the Parenting Research Centre and Raising Children Network teams talked about embedding evidence in parenting supports at the 2022 AIFS Conference.
Evidence check on efficacy of patient experience surveys
9 May, 2022: We were asked to explore how patient experience surveys meet the needs of vulnerable families.
New phase for MyTime program as delivery partners announced
6 May, 2022: Parents of children with disabilities are set to benefit from a simplified and strengthened approach to the delivery of the MyTime program, with seven partner agencies confirmed as MyTime delivery partners.
We can help you give the gift of support
5 May, 2022: We have a range of parent support resources that family services sector professionals and practitioners might like to add to their toolkit.
Free text message program to support Victorian parents
23 March, 2022: The Parenting Research Centre is partnering with early childhood experts to lead the development of content for the Play Learn Grow text message program.
Helping parents and carers build resilience in children and teenagers
15 March, 2022: As mentioned on ABC News this week, the Parenting Research Centre is a trusted place for parents and carers to find evidence-based information to help them help their family thrive.
How telepractice can enhance services for families: new report
24 February, 2022: A summary of the main findings from two research studies we conducted into how telepractice can best serve families now and into the future.
New parents set to benefit from simplified navigation service
7 February, 2022: Media release. ForWhen is a new national parenting program utilising the Parenting Research Centre's practice design and improvement expertise to better support new and expectant parents.
New research brief looks at which parents are less likely to seek parenting support
16 December, 2021: Media Release. A research brief published by the Parenting Research Centre shows that parents are most likely to turn to family and friends when they need parenting support, but most are also willing to seek out professional help.
2021 – year in review
15 December, 2021: We are proud of what we have achieved in 2021 – take a look at our year in review.
Heather Finlayson joins Parenting Research Centre board
14 December, 2021: We are pleased to announce the appointment of Heather Finlayson to the Parenting Research Centre’s (PRC) Board.
Telepractice venture supporting the transition to virtual services
18 October 2021: Media release. To help families continue to access important support services through ongoing lockdowns around Australia, a group of leading agencies has developed a much-needed suite of freely available online resources.
Parenting Young Children to get gold-standard evaluation
October 2021: A Parenting Research Centre (PRC) program designed for parents with learning difficulties is being evaluated in a gold-standard randomised controlled trial in Sweden.
COVID-19: How we are responding
UPDATED October 2021: As the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt around the world, we recognise families will be experiencing stress and upheaval. Find out how we will continue to support parents and provide guidance to community and family services.
Derek McCormack appointed Director of raisingchildren.net.au
1 July, 2021: Derek McCormack has been named as the new Director of the Raising Children Network.
Partnering to support the mental health and wellbeing of new and expectant parents
8 June, 2021: The Parenting Research Centre is very excited to be working with Karitane on a major initiative to support parents and healthy child development.
Evaluating the Teens and beyond program
The Association for Children with Disability has engaged the PRC to evaluate their Teens and beyond program.
Elly Robinson appointed Principal, Practice Design
We are delighted to announce that Elly Robinson has been appointed as Principal, Practice Design.
Voice Project Award
PRC has been announced as the winner of Voice Project's Best Workplace Award for 2021.
PRC’s Partnering with Parents rolled out in Vic kinders
Partnering with Parents has been accepted for inclusion on the 2021 Victorian Government School Readiness Funding Menu.
Maree Walk joins Parenting Research Centre Board
15 February 2020: Media release. The Parenting Research Centre (PRC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Maree Walk as a non-executive Board member.
Service improves wellbeing for kids in care
Our recent evaluation has found evidenced-based support significantly increases stability of care placements and leads to better psychological outcomes for children in care.
Telepractice a viable option for families
Telepractice can complement in-person service provision, adding a virtual suite of services to the continuum of care.
MyTime’s digital delivery
COVID-19 could have profoundly impacted the delivery of MyTime’s services, but as a national program of facilitated peer support for parents of children with disability and developmental delay, it was important to establish a revised model to deliver these services in a way that kept families ...
Evaluating a program for new fathers
We are pleased to be working alongside the NSW Ministry of Health to evaluate aspects of a pilot program focused on supporting new and expectant fathers.
PracticeWorks case study: Barnardos Australia
Our PracticeWorks methodology is helping Barnardos Australia to develop actionable and measurable practice guidance across their organisation.
PRC to work alongside leading NGOs on Telepractice collaborative venture
PRC and Karitane are working together to advance Telepractice service delivery to support families, no matter where they live.
Reframing in practice – emerging themes
As part of the Reframing Parenting project, the Parenting Research Centre has been working alongside a number of organisations that support children and families to help them implement framing approaches that reflect the Frameworks Institute research. We spoke to a few of them recently to ...
MyTime’s online support reaches parents at time of need
One of our flagship programs is MyTime, a program that directly supports more than 200 groups of parents across Australia. And these groups have been realising some great outcomes as they adapt to different ways of engaging with parents, children and families. While COVID-19 has brought an ...
New eLearning tools released to help change the way we talk about parenting
The Parenting Research Centre has released a series of free eLearning modules designed to help change the narrative around parenting in Australia in a way that better supports children and families to thrive. The new eLearning modules form part of the Reframing Parenting project, which the ...
Helping ensure all children are included in school and community life during and after COVID-19
With many schools facing disruption to face-to-face learning in recent months, there has been concern throughout the education and child and family services sectors that some children will fall further behind in their learning and development as a result. To help address this, the Parenting ...
What you wanted to know about Reframing Parenting – answered
We respond to some of the frequently asked questions from our Reframing Parenting in the context of COVID-19 webinar.
Webinar recording: Reframing Parenting in the context of COVID-19
A recording of our webinar on how COVID is changing the context of our work with children and families, and why effective framing is more important than ever.
New online mental health resource for professionals working with families
DATE: 29 January 2020: Practitioners working with families now have access to a new mental health resource – an easy-access A–Z toolkit on child, teenage and parent mental health and wellbeing.
Opinion: Time to rescue the pre-teen years from the policy wilderness
4 November 2019: Our latest opinion piece in The Mandarin says it's time for research and policy to catch up with marketing when it comes to the pre-teen years
Working with parents the focus of new trial with early educators
1 November 2019: We are trialling a new practice support system designed to help early childhood educators work with parents more effectively.
New activity guides for children an inspiration for parents
25 October 2019: Leading parenting website, raisingchildren.net.au has launched 20 new free activity guides to give parents low-cost inspiration for play with children.
Parental guilt: what’s healthy for children?
23 September 2019: Listen to our interview on parental guilt with ABC Radio National's Life Matters program. We discuss how children benefit when parents invest in their own wellbeing.
Opinion: Five ways we can all help keep children safe
10 September 2019: We have a collective responsibility to protect children. Our opinion piece first published in The Mandarin outlines five things we can all do.
New practitioner resource on talking about parenting
5 September 2019: We have collaborated with two leading child and family organsiations on a new resource to help practitioners when talking about parenting
Parenting resources in languages other than English
20 August 2019: Professionals working with CALD families can now access a newly curated collection of parenting resources in more than 20 languages other than English
Baby bundles an opportunity to connect with parents
18 July 2019: The Parenting Research Centre is pleased to have helped design Victoria's first Baby Bundle, which will be delivered to 35,000 families across the State.
Child temperament: a cornerstone of parenting
15 July 2019: In this episode of the Babyology podcast Feed Play Love, Parenting Research Centre Senior Specialist Dr Naomi Hackworth shares how to accept and support a child's temperament.
New framework planned to boost permanency for NSW children
8 July 2019: Giving more children and young people a permanent home is the goal of a new practice framework project we are running in NSW
Parenting Young Children program extends international reach
2 July 2019: Hundreds of Scandinavian professionals are now ready to deliver our Parenting Young Children Program to parents with intellectual disabilities.
Using evidence better needs fresh thinking
30 June 2019: Key challenges to evidence-based practice and a way forward for child and family services were key themes at our Practice reimagined events in Sydney and Melbourne.
Supported playgroups program expands to boost child language
30 June 2019: Our smalltalk program has been expanded in Victoria's Latrobe Valley to boost child speech and language development.
How to turn the tables on kids’ screen time: make it a family affair
21 May 2019: Media release. Screen time between parents and children can build stronger relationships.
Children in out-of-home care need investment in carers
17 May 2019: Building carers’ capacity and confidence is critical to keeping children safe and settled in out-of-home care, we told the Child Aware conference in Brisbane.
Opinion: Protecting vulnerable children – policy lessons from public health
16 May 2019: Using a public health approach to child protection may reduce the number of children living in out-of-home care in Australia.
Sound: an unsung hero in child development
6 May 2019: Parenting Research Centre Senior Specialist Dr Naomi Hackworth tells the Babyology podcast Feed Play Love why sound is critically important to the way children learn about their world.
Parenting labels don’t help children
15 April 2019: Parenting Research Centre CEO Warren Cann explains on the Babyology podcast Feed Play Love why focusing on child temperament is more useful than labelling parenting styles.
Why your weekly movie night is a really good thing
10 April 2019: Family rituals give children and adults a sense of belonging and are an important part of life, Principal Specialist Derek McCormack tells the Babyology podcast Feed Play Love.
Opinion: With mental health, what’s good for parents is good for children
8 April 2019: A policy focus on parent mental health will lead to better mental health outcomes for children, our opinion piece, first published in The Mandarin, says.
What is child resilience? Finding common ground
5 April 2019: Building successful initiatives that improve child resilience will depend on raising awareness about its complexity, our research shows.
Parents searching for answers on child sleep, inquiry hears
4 April 2019: Much more can be done to highlight what healthy sleep habits look like and why they're important for both children and their parents, we told a recent Federal Parliamentary Inquiry.
Telling stories builds children’s brains and family bonds
20 March 2019: Media release. Storytelling has far reaching benefits for children and can help build their brains.
Parents being judged: it’s the last thing children need
13 March 2019: Parenting Research Centre CEO Warren Cann explains the impact of judging parents on the Feed Play Love podcast.
Program to keep children engaged in education trials new family approach
26 February 2019: The Smith Family and Parenting Research Centre are trialing a new framework to support families as part of the Learning for Life program
Opinion: Helping teens by addressing the parent confidence drop
15 February 2019: Confident parents who build strong bonds grow confident teens. Read our article in EducationHQ.
When it comes to advice seeking, parents are living online
13 February 2019: We told the recent ISRII conference in New Zealand that more and more parents are seeking help online
Practice First leads to child protection cultural shift, evaluation shows
7 February 2019: An evaluation of the Practice First service delivery model in NSW has shown it helped case workers spend more time with families.
New learning package prepares family system workers for NDIS
5 February 2019: Our new professional e-learning package is helping workers in the Victorian child and family system gain skills and confidence around the NDIS
Tackling fear of the unknown helps reduce first day of school nerves
21 January 2019: Media release. Parents can help their children make a positive start to primary school by tackling the fear of the unknown, says raisingchildren.net.au
Intensive family support program improves child safety
14 December 2018: Our evaluation work has found that a Queensland Government program providing intensive support to vulnerable families is successfully reducing child protection notifications.
What works in providing trauma-focused support for children in care?
12 December 2018: Parenting Research Centre is partnering in a new evaluation of a service to reduce trauma for children in out-of-home care.
Education staff a key touchpoint for parents with mental health difficulties
10 December 2018: Media release. Parents experiencing mental health difficulties are more likely to interact with early childhood and school education staff around decisions and advice about their children.
New project to fast-track ‘best spends’ on child mental health
5 December 2018: A new project will fast-track ways to help professionals intervene early on child mental health
Focus on child sleep could boost physical activity: study
4 December 2018: Supporting parents to improve their children’s sleep patterns could boost physical activity and potentially reduce obesity risk, our research shows.
If you build it, will they come? Solving participation issues in parenting support
30 November 2018: Funding parent engagement as a key component of parenting programs will help Australia get the most from its public investments in this area. Read our article in The Mandarin.
Tool tackles impact of mental illness across generations
23 November, 2018: New research shows that a tool being used in Victoria can improve services for families impacted by a parent’s mental illness.
Family coaching program promotes housing stability
22 November 2018: An innovative pilot program using coaches to help Queensland families in public housing has improved families’ emotional wellbeing,our evaluation has found.
Opinion: A case for changing the message on parenting
20 November 2018: Building community support for better structures and systems to help parents will require a shift in the way we talk about parenting, writes Annette Michaux.
Lessons for parents on surviving Schoolies: talk early talk often
19 Nov 2018: Media release. Opening the lines of communication – and keeping them open – is an important way to connect with your teenager during the party season say experts at raisingchildren.net.au
Opinion: Children’s wellbeing tied to dads’ mental health
5 September 2018: The way a child grows and develops is powerfully influenced by their father's mental health. Read our latest article in The Conversation.
One in five Australian dads experience depression or anxiety after having kids
31 August 2018: Media release. One in five fathers say they have suffered symptoms of depression or anxiety since having children.
Project launched to change the conversation about parenting
23 August 2018: A major shift in the way we communicate about parenting is needed, according to this new research which proposes a way forward for positive messages.
Parenting support: trends and evidence-based practice
These webinars provide an update of recent research and contemporary thinking on parenting support, and explore the challenges of implementing evidence-based programs in this area.
Opinion: Seven lessons on evidence-informed practice
20 July 2018: A decade-long partnership based on co-design and mutual trust has produced key lessons. Read our latest oped piece in The Mandarin
Parenting support key to protecting child rights
6 July 2018: Read our submission to the National Children's Commissioner on progress in implementing the Convention on the Rights of Children
Boredom is fantastic for children’s play, say parenting experts
19 June 2018: Media release. A bit of boredom is not a bad thing – in fact it can actually do children some good, say experts at raisingchildren.net.au
More NSW families supported via tried-and-tested program
31 May 2018: The Parenting Research Centre is now home to Australia's largest group of coaches in SafeCare, a program shown to reduce child abuse and neglect
Parenting Young Children program makes international inroads
30 May 2018: Japan is the third overseas country to adopt our program for parents with learning difficulties
Opinion: Building parent confidence will reap rewards
21 May 2018: How can policymakers help Australian families to thrive? Read our oped piece in The Mandarin.
New practitioner course on child wellbeing launched
16 May 2018: Building Blocks is a new online course to help practitioners work with parents around their child’s mental health
Inquiry submission: supporting new parents and babies
21 Feb 2018: Good parenting is achievable with the right support, we told the NSW inquiry on support for new parents and babies
Raising Children Network reaches new milestone
18 Jan 2018: The Raising Children Network has reached a milestone in providing trusted information for parents
Skills program a beacon for vulnerable families
18 Jan 2018: A new parenting program we're helping pilot shows great potential in keeping vulnerable families together
National Centre for Child Mental Health goes live
1 Dec 2017: Emerging Minds: the National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health set to support professionals
Victorian parents faring well but hungry for help raising teens
28 Nov 2017: Media release. Most parents are confident but seeking reassurance in key areas, our research shows
Smalltalk offshoot named as Victorian awards finalist
An extension of our smalltalk initiative was honoured at the 2017 Victorian Early Years Awards.
New project identifies parenting messages that resonate
Project builds on previous work to frame parenting messages for policy makers and the general public