Overview
What is the Raising Children Network?
Raising Children Network is an Australian Government-funded initiative delivering online resources and information to Australian parents, carers and professionals caring for children.
Raising Children Network has been funded by successive Australian governments since 2006 to publish up-to-date, scientifically validated information about raising children from pregnancy to18 years.
Through its mobile-friendly website raisingchildren.net.au and app Raising Healthy Minds, Raising Children Network offers more than 3,000 resources that help parents support their children’s health development.
Topics include:
- pregnancy and giving birth
- child and adolescent health, development and learning
- family relationships and wellbeing
- being a parent and carer
- autistic children and children with disability or developmental concerns
- services and support throughout Australia.
Raising Children Network works with 400+ experts in infant, child and adolescent health, wellbeing, learning and development to ensure that resources incorporate the latest research and are accurate and valid. Published content is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains current.
Our impacts and achievements
The Raising Children Network website offers users free access to:
- Over 3,000 evidence-based resources on a wide range of parenting topics.
- Over 50 Parenting in Pictures guides for parents and carers of diverse literacy levels.
- A-Z health offering a plain-language overview of hundreds of heath topics and conditions.
- Information on child development, sleep, behaviour, nutrition, health and wellbeing covering ages and stages from birth to 18 years.
- Videos on a wide range of topics including newborn care, breastfeeding and play ideas.
- Printable activity guides with low-cost and simple ideas for play, including guides especially for neurodiverse children and children with disability.
- Raising Healthy Minds app supporting parents, carers and professionals working with children to support the social and emotional wellbeing of children aged 0-12 years old.
- Translated resources on key parenting topics in a number of community languages
- Monthly newsletters for parents and professionals working with families.
- Disability resources including parent story videos, expert overviews and a guide to disabilities covering a range of syndromes and conditions.
- Guides to help parents and carers gain confidence to access and navigate the NDIS.
- Resources for professionals working with families including downloadable child development posters and videos.
- Child-friendly movie reviews.
- Monthly webinars facilitated by subject matter experts on a wide range of parenting topics.
The Raising Children Network also shares tips and tools on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Professionals using Raising Children Network in practice
Raising Children Network is a free and valuable resource for professionals and agencies that work with parents, including general practitioners, maternal and child health nurses, childcare workers, preschool and school teachers, social workers and psychologists. Professionals refer parents to the site, download and distribute its information to the parents they work with and use the resources in their own professional development.
Partners and funders
The Raising Children Network was launched in 2006 and is funded by the Australian Government. The project is overseen by a two-member consortium, comprising the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Parenting Research Centre. Representatives from both consortium members form the Raising Children Network Board of Directors.
Contact us
If you have a question, please reach out via the Raising Children Network website.
Our philosophy
The Raising Children Network believes that parents and carers are best placed to decide what’s right for their children and families based on their own values, circumstances and lifestyles. It believes that parents can make good decisions when they have information based on the best science in parenting and child health and development.