Voice of the Child

Overview

Children and young people have an undeniable right to shape the decisions and processes that affect their lives. Recognising and respecting this right is an ethical imperative, and foundational to producing meaningful, and impactful research, healthcare and service delivery.

The Voice of the Child (VoC) project is important because it seeks to fill a critical gap in Australia by ensuring that children are meaningfully involved in matters that concern them. Children have unique experiences and insights that are often overlooked. We want children to tell us about the things that matter most to them and have their voices integrated into solutions. 

The VoC project aims to meet a need for tools, processes and capacity building that equips researchers and professionals working with children to systematically incorporate children's perspectives, including those from marginalised groups.  

The project has taken a staged approach:

• Stage 1: Gathering the evidence
• Stage 2: Developing the toolkit and the principles 
• Stage 3: Testing and refining the toolkit and other learning resources

Elevating children’s voices ensures that research, community initiatives and services are more inclusive, relevant, meaningful, effective and sustainable. This approach fosters vibrant and connected communities where all members, including children, feel heard and valued.

Access the Voice of the Child Toolkit

The VoC Project has taken a staged approach. We commenced in July 2023. Stage 1 and 2 are complete and Stage 3 is currently underway.

Stage 1 (2023-2024): Gathering the evidence

We conducted

• A literature umbrella review to see what the published evidence could tell us about the involvement of children and young people in the conduct of health research
• A grey literature review to see what was happening outside peer-reviewed academic evidence, in other sectors beyond health research to provide a more complete and timelier picture.

We also contributed to a Melbourne Children’s Campus Scoping Survey to gather insights from staff across the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne's  Department of Paediatrics. The survey assessed the current state of consumer and community involvement. It had a strong focus on involving children and young people as a priority group and identified the needs and priorities that could be addressed by a VoC toolkit. 

Stage 2 (2024-2025): The toolkit and the principles

• We undertook two ‘Hear our Voice’ workshops with 12 children aged 7 to 11 years old to identify the principles they thought should inform the toolkit. We asked why it was important to include children’s voices. Drawing on insights from these workshops, we identified a set of key principles that translate ethical, rights-based commitments into practical action. The principles can be found in the toolkit.
• The Voice of the Child toolkit is an evidence-based resource designed for researchers, service providers, clinicians and others keen to involve children and young people in their work -  whether they are just starting out or looking to expand their skills. Drawing on research, consultations and best practice, this toolkit provides practical information, step-by-step guides, case studies, and a range of resources to build knowledge and overcome the challenges of effective involvement.
  

Stage 3 (2025-2028): Testing and refining the toolkit and other learning resources

Our literature umbrella review and other sources have identified that children under 12, particularly those under 8 years old, are less frequently included or consulted. Stage 3 of the CCCH Voice of the Child project will focus on expanding and developing resources for involving children under 12 years.

Our work involves testing the methods in the toolkit to gather young children’s experiences of service delivery and issues affecting them within their community. We have partnered with Polyglot Theatre, a world-renowned contemporary theatre company based in Melbourne/Naarm making exceptional arts experiences for children and families. We are researching some of Polyglot’s creative activities to inform the broader work of the Voice of the Child toolkit.

With funding from Minderoo Foundation, this work will take place in five early childhood education and care settings across Australia, creatively engaging children aged 3-5 years (2025-2028). 

With funding from VicHealth, we will work with children aged 3-12 years in three community healthcare settings across Victoria (2025-2026).

What will be the impact?

Our work with the Voice of the Child toolkit will help services deepen their insights into young children’s needs, perspectives and experience, fostering more inclusive and responsive approaches. Learnings will be used to refine the toolkit and develop capacity building materials that will support and empower communities, services and other organisations to use these resources in their efforts to ensure that services and programs adequately respond to the needs of young children.