COVID-19: How we are responding

Updated October 2021

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt around the world, it is important to stay connected and to keep each other updated. We want to let you know that we are taking this very seriously and recognise it’s a dynamic and unprecedented situation.

Like many of you, our team has moved to mostly remote working arrangements. We are utilising video conferencing technology and exploring how best to use digital tools to keep our projects (even those that would normally require face-to-face convening activities) on track and meeting the needs of our partners (and, in turn, the parents they support). We are mindful some work may experience disruptions, and we are committed to staying proactive in how we approach and manage this.

To help child and family practitioners and services to improve telepractice sessions during this time, our Telepractice Hub has new evidence-based guides and videos designed for practitioners and services.

The resources include a guide to child safety conversations via phone, a guide to responding to risk in telepractice sessions, tips for engaging new families via telepractice, and tips to support people with disabilities when using telepractice. A video series, developed in partnership with Karitane, covers workforce capacity building, management and strategic issues for telepractice delivery.

One thing that is absolute is that the health and wellbeing of our staff and their families is a priority. As we continue to take actions and precautions throughout our entire business. These decisions and actions are based on recommendations from the Australian government and the World Health Organization.

Our commitment to helping children and families thrive is as strong as ever, and in many ways takes on greater urgency in times of stress and upheaval. We continue to proactively develop resources to support parents and to provide guidance to community and family services.

Indeed our raisingchildren.net.au team has been very busy developing new resources for parents in relation to COVID-19. These include a general information piece, an article on pregnancy and COVID-19, and resources on parenting in the context of social distancing and self-isolation.

While there has been a lot to be concerned about, there are also opportunities to be hopeful and innovative. As an organisation, our goal is to not just make our way through this unprecedented time, but to come out the other side stronger and more resilient than before.

Take care, stay safe, and talk soon.

Warren Cann
CEO, Parenting Research Centre