Working with Children, Families, and Communities in Contemporary Society
Supporting children and families across diverse economic, social, cultural, health and wellbeing, and crisis and emergency contexts — with grounded strategies, community partnerships, and resources for everyday practice.
Figure 1. Housing and household economic security are central pressures shaping family life.
Understanding the Context
Economic hardship is a lack of ability to cover basic necessities and for Australia is usually manifested as income poverty, housing stress, food insecurity and unstable employment. Typically, housing stress is defined as when a low-income household invests more than 30 per cent of their gross income in housing — rent or mortgage repayments (Baker et al., 2020). Poverty rarely exists alone; it is linked to unemployment, casualised employment and a high cost of living, which can lead to families of young children experiencing an "interlocking disadvantage."
Economic disadvantage is very relevant to ECE because the first five years of brain development are the most critical, and a lack of economic resources influences the context in which the development happens. This relevance is understood through bioecological systems theory, which views the family's economy as part of the microsystems and mesosystems that directly and indirectly affect a child's daily life (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). Financial stress also heightens parental psychological distress, leading to less warmth and consistency in parenting, as explained by family stress theory (Conger et al., 2010).
Recent Australian research indicates child poverty has continued to escalate since the pandemic, with price rises and weak wage growth contributing to an estimated 868,300 children living below the 50 per cent poverty line in 2023 — fifteen per cent of all children in Australia — projected to exceed 950,000 by 2025 (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, 2025). Rising rental costs and the disproportionately high economic disadvantage of sole-parent families point to a worsening landscape.
The Impact on Children and Families
Children's cognitive, language, social and emotional development is at risk of being negatively impacted by persistent poverty, as families struggle to access nutritious food, safe housing, healthcare, and enriching experiences like books, toys, or outings (Centre for Community Child Health, 2023). Housing instability — frequent moves, overcrowding, or unsafe or damp homes — negatively affects routines, sleep and a child's sense of security. Parents' mental wellbeing and their capacity to respond sensitively to children are also shaped by financial stress.
Families facing disadvantage may struggle to afford enrolment fees, uniforms, or excursions, and irregular working hours can make regular attendance difficult. Services need to recognise children's needs sensitively without stigma, remain responsive to children who arrive hungry, tired or concerned, and build flexible fees and partnerships with family support services to reduce barriers to participation.
Social Policy & Australian Responses
Increased rates of the Child Care Subsidy from July 2023, as part of the Cheaper Child Care reforms, directly lowered the cost barrier to early learning for low-income families — up to 90 per cent for families with incomes at or below $80,000 (National Indigenous Australians Agency, 2023). Income support payments have also risen, though advocacy groups argue this still leaves many families below the poverty line (Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, 2025).
Sole-parent families face significantly higher poverty risk than couple families, and rent increases have outpaced income growth (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, 2025). These figures underline the importance of the Government's proposed Childhood Guarantee and the ongoing debate about how policy can better safeguard children from poverty (Centre for Community Child Health, 2023). While subsidy reform improves access, educators should implement service-level strategies — no-cost resource pools and flexible enrolment — to align policy intent with family experience.
Table 1. Key economic indicators for Australian children and families
Indicator
Figure
Population / Group
Source
Children living below the 50% poverty line (2023)
868,300 (15% of all children)
All Australian children
Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, 2025
Children projected to be in poverty by 2025
More than 950,000
All Australian children
Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, 2025
Housing stress threshold
More than 30% of gross income on housing
Low-income households
Baker et al., 2020
Housing costs as share of gross household income, owners with mortgage (2023)
22%
Single-parent households
ABS, 2025
Housing costs as share of gross household income, owners with mortgage (2023)
15%
Couple-only households
ABS, 2025
Housing costs as share of gross household income, private renters (2023)
26%
Lone-person households
ABS, 2025
Housing costs as share of gross household income, private renters (2023)
16%
Couple-only households
ABS, 2025
Annual growth in rental prices, year to June quarter 2025
4.5%
National average
ABS, 2025
CCS subsidy rate for families with incomes ≤ $80,000
Up to 90%
Eligible low-income families
National Indigenous Australians Agency, 2023
Note. Housing-cost figures are drawn from the ABS Measuring What Matters housing serviceability indicator for the 2023 reference year. Single-parent and lone-person households consistently carry a higher housing-cost burden than couple households, reinforcing the "interlocking disadvantage" discussed above.
Strategies for Practice
Have a strengths-based, non-stigmatising enrolment and orientation process that connects families to material supports without singling children out.
Keep an in-house lending library of books, toys and seasonal clothing.
Create flexible fee and attendance policies in consultation with families in hardship — payment plans, waived excursions.
Embrace relationship-based pedagogy, with consistent key educators and routines to promote a "felt sense of security."
Offer professional development so educators can identify signs of distress and respond with care, not assumption.
Community and Professional Partnerships
The Smith Family
Learning for Life program — financial scholarships and mentoring for children from low-income families.
Anglicare Australia
Network providing emergency relief, financial counselling and housing support for direct referral.
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Early years and family economic support programmes, plus poverty research.
Uniting
Financial counselling, family support and housing services, with outreach to local services.
ACOSS
Peak advocacy body producing data and policy resources for systemic change.
Resources for Educators and Children
Projects, programs & websites
The Smith Family Learning for Life (thesmithfamily.com.au) — scholarship and mentoring resources.
Raising Children Network "Money and Family Life" hub — advice on talking to children about money stress.
Anti-Poverty Week (antipovertyweek.org.au) — classroom and community awareness tools.
Emerging Minds "Supporting children through financial hardship" — practitioner guides.
Storybooks (birth–5 years)
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams — unity and support after adversity.
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills — belonging and being teased over clothing.
Wombat Goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo — community sharing in hardship.
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts — wanting something a family cannot afford.
Videos, shows & podcasts
Bluey (ABC Kids) — non-material play and problem solving.
Story Box Library — Australian read-aloud picture books on resilience.
Play School (ABC Kids) — sharing, community helpers, low-cost play.
ABC Kids listen — free audio stories on community and belonging.
Resource Pedagogical Discussion
The Smith Family — Learning for Life
Educators can draw on practitioner materials to build shared vocabulary for aspiration without stigma. Sharing the idea that any child can have a "cheer squad" behind them models help-seeking as normal and gives concrete referral pathways for a family under pressure.
Raising Children Network "Money and Family Life"
Provides age-appropriate scripts for responding when a child raises questions about money. Calm, honest language builds children's emotional vocabulary and reduces shame, reinforcing consistency between home and service.
Anti-Poverty Week
Classroom-ready activities give a structured, whole-group way to introduce fairness and sharing without singling out any child's circumstances, turning an abstract issue into empathy-building conversation.
Emerging Minds — financial hardship
Translates family stress theory into observable behaviours, helping educators notice when clinginess, fatigue or irritability may reflect household pressure, and respond with curiosity rather than correction.
A Chair for My Mother
Makes saving, patience and mutual support tangible through coins filling a jar after a house fire — a way to discuss delayed gratification and communal resilience.
The Rag Coat
Opens a gentle conversation about teasing tied to what a child wears, reframing hand-me-downs as meaningful rather than shameful.
Wombat Goes Walkabout
Not explicitly about poverty, but its motif of neighbours helping a wombat in need introduces community sharing without needing to reference money directly.
Those Shoes
A concrete entry point for discussing want versus need and generosity, validating children's feelings of missing out while modelling kindness.
Bluey
Imaginative, low-cost family play demonstrates that connection and fun do not depend on possessions, reducing material comparison with peers.
Story Box Library
Gives access to resilience-themed picture books read by familiar voices, useful for group story time when a physical book isn't available.
References
ABC Kids. (n.d.-a). Bluey. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. abc.net.au/abckids
Anti-Poverty Week. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2026, from antipovertyweek.org.au
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025). Housing serviceability. Measuring what matters. Australian Government.
Baker, E., Lester, L., Mason, K., & Bentley, R. (2020). Mental health and prolonged exposure to unaffordable housing. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55, 715–721. doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01756-x
Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre. (2025). Child poverty in Australia 2025. Curtin University.
Boelts, M. (2007). Those shoes. Candlewick Press.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In Handbook of child psychology (6th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 793–828). Wiley.
Centre for Community Child Health. (2023). Poverty in Australia submission. Royal Children's Hospital.
Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare. (2025). Australian children increasingly affected by poverty. CFECFW.
Conger, R. D., Conger, K. J., & Martin, M. J. (2010). Socioeconomic status, family processes, and individual development. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 685–704.
Emerging Minds. (n.d.). Supporting children through financial hardship. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from emergingminds.com.au
Mills, L. (1991). The rag coat. Little, Brown.
Morpurgo, M. (2003). Wombat goes walkabout. HarperCollins.
National Indigenous Australians Agency. (2023). Outcome 3. Australian Government.
Raising Children Network. (n.d.). Money and family life. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from raisingchildren.net.au
Story Box Library. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2026, from storyboxlibrary.com.au
The Smith Family. (n.d.). Learning for Life. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from thesmithfamily.com.au
Williams, V. B. (1982). A chair for my mother. Greenwillow Books.
02
Social Contexts
Figure 2. Family structures in Australia are increasingly diverse, including blended, single-parent and shared-care families.
Understanding the Context
Social contexts that impact families include social or geographical isolation, parental separation and divorce, and children living out-of-home. Isolation can stem from relocation, mobility, disability or a lack of local support systems; separation and divorce change family dynamics and care arrangements. Out-of-home care is provided for children who cannot safely remain with their families, via the statutory child protection system (AIHW, 2026).
These contexts are foundational to subsequent social and emotional development. Disruption of primary relationships through separation or entering care can impact a child's sense of safety and trust (McLean et al., 2021). Ecological systems theory highlights how the absence of a protective exosystem — extended family or neighbourhood networks — reduces the buffer available to an isolated family.
Family structures are changing: fewer than half of families now have two parents, and blended, single-parent and shared-care families are growing. Nationally, 44,900 children were in out-of-home care on 30 June 2024 (AIHW, 2026), with policy continuing to shift toward family preservation and reunification wherever safe.
Impact on Children and Families
Social isolation may deprive parents of informal care that supports early parenting, making it more stressful and limiting peer relationship opportunities. Children may experience reduced emotional security during ongoing high-conflict separation, but are at less risk when stable, low-conflict co-parenting is possible (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2021). Adverse experiences carried over from previous placements can affect trust and behaviour with new caregivers and educators.
These contexts matter for services adjusting enrolment and communication for two-household families, maintaining confidentiality for children in care, and relying on key-person relationships as a stable anchor amid change.
Social Policy and Australian Responses
Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2021–2031 guides work to reduce the number of children entering statutory care and to prioritise reunification wherever safe (Department of Social Services, 2021), complementing the Family Law Act's focus on the "best interests of the child."
The proportion of children in out-of-home care has remained relatively stable, and in 2023–24 nearly half of children leaving care did so within one year of placement (AIHW, 2026), reflecting a policy focus on timely, family-based solutions. Practice involves working alongside caseworkers, foster and kinship carers and biological parents, with information-sharing to protect vulnerable children while promoting reunification.
Table 2. Out-of-home care in Australia
Indicator
Figure
Source
Children in out-of-home care, 30 June 2024
44,900
AIHW, 2026
Children leaving care within one year of placement (2023–24)
Nearly half
AIHW, 2026
Strategies for Practice
Support children through family transitions with a reliable key-person approach.
Establish clear communication plans for separated families — shared portfolios, agreed pick-up times.
Make low-cost connection opportunities accessible for socially isolated families — playgroups, morning teas, buddy systems.
Use trauma-informed practices for children in out-of-home care — predictable schedules, visual routines, quiet transitions.
Work closely with caseworkers and carers to keep approaches consistent between home and service.
Community and Professional Partnerships
Relationships Australia
Family dispute resolution, counselling and post-separation parenting services.
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Evidence-based resources on separation, co-parenting and family functioning.
Local child protection caseworkers
State/territory departments that arrange care and liaise with services.
Life Without Barriers
Support agency for foster and kinship carers, working alongside educators.
Playgroup Australia
Helps establish local playgroups to reduce parental isolation.
Resources for Educators and Children
Projects, programs & websites
Raising Children Network "Separation and Divorce" hub.
Australian Religious Council — free counselling for separated families.
CatholicCare / Relationships Australia "Children in Focus" program.
Life Without Barriers foster care resources.
Playgroup Australia (playgroupaustralia.org.au).
Storybooks (birth–5 years)
Two Homes by Claire Masurel.
The Family Book by Todd Parr.
A Kids Book About Foster Care by Marcus Fitchett.
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney.
Videos, shows & podcasts
Play School (ABC Kids) — family structures.
Bluey "Camping" and "Sleepytime" — family connection and reassurance.
Resource Pedagogical Discussion
Raising Children Network — Separation and Divorce
Gives educators developmentally staged language for reassuring children whose parents are separating, helping them make sense of two-household routines.
Australian Religious Council family counselling
Lets educators respond supportively to disclosures of separation-related distress by referring to counselling rather than managing it alone.
CatholicCare / Relationships Australia "Children in Focus"
Offers a child-first framing educators can share with parents negotiating pick-up and communication arrangements.
Life Without Barriers foster care resources
Builds educators' trauma-informed practice for children in care, helping them become a safe, reliable anchor amid change.
Playgroup Australia
Turns a passive resource into an active connection, extending an isolated family's social world beyond the service.
Two Homes
Gives children a mirror for their own experience, introducing "two homes" as normal and comforting.
The Family Book
A playful survey of family types that helps every child see their own family reflected in the group.
A Kids Book About Foster Care
Plain, honest language for explaining foster care without singling out a child in care.
Llama Llama Misses Mama
Validates ordinary separation anxiety at drop-off while modelling that reunion comes.
Play School & Bluey episodes
Ready-made content that normalises family diversity and models connection and repair after conflict.
References
ABC Kids. (n.d.-a). Bluey. abc.net.au/abckids
ABC Kids. (n.d.-b). Play School. abc.net.au/abckids
Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2021). Parenting after separation. Australian Government.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026). Child protection Australia 2023–24. Australian Government.
Australian Religious Council. (n.d.). Family counselling services. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from australianreligiouscouncil.org
CatholicCare & Relationships Australia. (n.d.). Children in Focus program. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from catholiccare.org
Department of Social Services. (2021). Safe and Supported: National framework 2021–2031. Australian Government.
Dewdney, A. (2009). Llama llama misses mama. Viking.
Fitchett, M. (2021). A kids book about foster care. A Kids Book About, Inc.
Life Without Barriers. (n.d.). Foster care resources. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from lwb.org.au
Masurel, C. (2001). Two homes. Candlewick Press.
McLean, K., Hiscock, H., Scott, D., & Goldfeld, S. (2021). Foster and kinship carer survey. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57(1), 132–139. doi.org/10.1111/jpc.15157
Parr, T. (2003). The family book. Little, Brown.
Playgroup Australia. (n.d.). Find a playgroup. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from playgroupaustralia.org.au
Raising Children Network. (n.d.). Separation and divorce. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from raisingchildren.net.au
03
Culture and Diversity
Figure 3. Culturally responsive practice recognises the diverse communities that early childhood services support.
Understanding the Context
Cultural and diversity contexts include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and migrant or refugee families using early childhood services. Migrant and refugee families face settlement stress, language barriers and unfamiliar service systems, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families continue to experience the multi-generational impact of colonisation, including the Stolen Generations (SNAICC, 2023).
Culturally responsive practice is mandatory under the Early Years Learning Framework, and cultural identity is key to a child's sense of belonging. Bronfenbrenner and Morris (2006) point to the macrosystem of cultural values and the chronosystem of historical events, such as colonisation and forced migration, as powerful influences on family life. Critical race and post-colonial perspectives help educators recognise systemic bias in mainstream services (Moreton-Robinson, 2020).
Only four of nineteen Closing the Gap targets are on track, with structural inequities persisting despite reform (SNAICC, 2025). Meanwhile Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse community continues to grow, and services support an increasing proportion of newly arrived families.
The Impact on Children and Families
Overrepresentation of First Nations children in out-of-home care and disconnection from culture, Country and kinship can affect identity formation and wellbeing, while strong cultural connection is linked to resilience (AIHW, 2025). Language barriers can affect migrant and refugee families' access to enrolment information, and unfamiliarity with the formal education system can add to anxiety.
Services need genuine, not tokenistic, cultural inclusion — hearing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices throughout the curriculum, and offering culturally appropriate orientation and interpreting for newly arrived families.
Social Policy and Australian Responses
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap, through the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership co-chaired by SNAICC, guides government efforts to improve First Nations children's access to culturally appropriate early learning (Department of Education, 2025). From January 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are entitled to 100 subsidised CCS hours per fortnight regardless of activity test (Department of Education, 2026).
Progress on reducing the out-of-home care rate for First Nations children between 2019 and 2023 has been mixed (AIHW, 2025). Settlement services and multicultural early years programs aim to close access gaps for migrant and refugee families, though national data on refugee children's participation remains limited. Practice is realised through genuine partnerships with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and multicultural agencies, embedding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (SNAICC, 2019).
Table 3. Closing the Gap and early learning access indicators
Indicator
Figure
Source
Closing the Gap early childhood-relevant targets on track
4 of 19
SNAICC, 2025
Subsidised CCS hours for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (from Jan 2026)
100 hours per fortnight
Department of Education, 2026
Strategies for Practice
Integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices throughout the program, in collaboration with community members and Elders — not just at one-off events.
Use professional interpreters, not family members, for enrolment, orientation and sensitive discussions.
Build a welcoming physical setting — bilingual signage, diverse dolls and books, images of enrolled families' cultures.
Community and Professional Partnerships
Local Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations
Culturally safe family support services that can co-design curriculum content.
Settlement Services International
Orientation, casework and referral for newly arrived refugee and migrant families.
Multicultural Australia
Settlement and early years services for migrant and refugee families.
Connected Beginnings
Place-based early childhood, health and family services for First Nations communities.
Resources for Educators and Children
Projects, programs & websites
SNAICC (snaicc.org.au) — Child Placement Principle and cultural safety resources.
Connected Beginnings (education.gov.au).
Settlement Services International (ssi.org.au).
Storybooks (birth–5 years)
Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy.
Family by Aura Parker.
My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald.
Videos, shows & podcasts
Play School — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presenters, language and stories.
Little J & Big Cuz (NITV/ABC).
SBS Kids — multilingual, multicultural content.
Resource Pedagogical Discussion
SNAICC — Child Placement Principle & cultural safety
Helps educators embed genuine, everyday cultural inclusion, supporting First Nations children's identity and belonging and teaching all children respect for cultural protocols.
Connected Beginnings
Shows how early childhood, health and family services can work together, offering a template for genuine partnerships with local organisations.
Settlement Services International
Practical orientation and casework guidance for reducing settlement stress at enrolment through professional interpreting.
Welcome to Country
An authentic, age-appropriate way to open discussion of Aboriginal culture and protocol as part of everyday learning, not just NAIDOC Week.
Family
Playful illustrations of many family and cultural configurations build a classroom norm of curiosity rather than comparison.
My Two Blankets
Follows a young refugee adjusting to a new country, building empathy for peers who are newly arrived.
Play School
Regular appearances by First Nations presenters normalise culture as part of everyday Australian life.
Little J & Big Cuz
Centres First Nations children's everyday experiences, offering a relatable and engaging introduction to community and Country.
SBS Kids
Multilingual content that eases settlement stress for children from other language backgrounds and builds appreciation of diversity for peers.
References
ABC Kids. (n.d.-b). Play School. abc.net.au/abckids
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2025). Closing the Gap targets — child protection. Australian Government.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. Wiley.
Department of Education. (n.d.). Connected Beginnings. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from education.gov.au
Department of Education. (2025). Closing the Gap in early childhood. Australian Government.
Department of Education. (2026). Closing the Gap in early childhood. Australian Government.
Kobald, I. (2014). My two blankets. Little Hare Books.
Moreton-Robinson, A. (2020). Talkin' up to the white woman (2nd ed.). University of Queensland Press.
Murphy, J., & Kennedy, L. (2019). Welcome to Country. Walker Books Australia.
NITV & ABC. (n.d.). Little J & Big Cuz. sbs.com.au/nitv
Parker, A. (2020). Family. Puffin.
SBS Kids. (n.d.). sbs.com.au/kids
Settlement Services International. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2026, from ssi.org.au
SNAICC. (2019). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle: A guide. SNAICC.
SNAICC. (2023). The Family Matters report 2023. SNAICC.
SNAICC. (2025). The Family Matters report 2025. SNAICC.
04
Health and Wellbeing Contexts
Figure 4. Emotional and physical wellbeing in the early years underpins children's capacity to learn, relate and cope.
Understanding the Context
Parental mental illness, substance use, trauma, grief, and child abuse and neglect are among the health and wellbeing issues affecting children. Child maltreatment is often connected to family and domestic violence, parental substance use, and parental mental health issues.
The early years are a sensitive period for the stress response system. Polyvagal and trauma theory explain how chronic exposure to household stress or unpredictability affects nervous system and emotion regulation in young children (Perry & Winfrey, 2021), while attachment theory accounts for how a parent's depression or substance use can affect consistency and attunement, despite their love for the child.
More than half of children with mental health problems are not getting professional support (National Mental Health Commission, 2021), and about half of adult mental health problems begin before age 14.
Impact on Children and Families
Children of parents with mental illness can become over-responsible, experience inconsistent routines, internalise distress, or face heightened safety risk where a parent has a substance use history (Emerging Minds, 2026). Loss and trauma — bereavement, separation, abuse or neglect — often show up in behaviour, sleep, eating or play, since young children lack the language for complex emotions.
Services need to recognise changing behaviour as communication, not defiance, and provide regular, emotionally safe environments as a protective factor. Educators also carry mandatory reporting responsibilities and need to know how to respond sensitively to signs of abuse and neglect.
Social Policy and Australian Responses
The National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is Australia's first strategy targeting the mental health of children aged birth to 12 and their families, carers and educators, supporting early intervention investment (National Mental Health Commission, 2021). The Government is also funding the "Young Minds: Our Future" study for a current national picture of children's mental health service use (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026).
Less than a third of parents seek help when a child is struggling with mental illness (National Mental Health Commission, 2021), underscoring why early intervention before school is highly cost-effective (Black Dog Institute, 2021). Safe and Supported also shapes practice by prioritising intensive family support before statutory intervention (Department of Social Services, 2021).
Table 4. Children's mental health service access in Australia
Indicator
Figure
Source
Children with mental health problems not receiving professional support
More than half
National Mental Health Commission, 2021
Parents seeking help when a child is struggling with mental illness
Less than one third
National Mental Health Commission, 2021
Adult mental health problems that begin before age 14
About half
National Mental Health Commission, 2021
Strategies for Practice
Provide trauma-informed, relationship-based care for stressed children — predictability, gentle transitions, calm sensory environment.
Support educators to identify signs of grief, trauma or neglect and respond with curiosity and warmth.
Maintain clear mandatory reporting protocols with regular training and debriefing support.
Offer non-judgmental check-ins with distressed parents and warm referral to other services.
Community & Professional Partnerships
Emerging Minds
Infant and child mental health resources and training for professionals.
headspace
Supports young people's mental health with referral pathways for parents.
Beyond Blue
Information and assistance for parents with depression and anxiety, including perinatal mental health.
Child and Family Health Nurses
Developmental checks and referrals to other health and social services.
Resources for Educators and Children
Projects, programs & websites
Emerging Minds (emergingminds.com.au) — practitioner resources and free training.
National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (mentalhealthcommission.gov.au).
Be You (beyou.edu.au) — mental health in education program.
Raising Children Network "Grief and loss" hub.
Storybooks (birth–5 years)
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst.
The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside.
Michael Rosen's Sad Book.
Videos, shows & podcasts
Sesame Street "Grief" resources.
Bluey — emotional regulation and parent-child repair.
Helps educators recognise how a parent's mental illness or substance use might show up in a child's behaviour, without pathologising the child, and respond with consistent warmth.
National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Gives educators shared, evidence-based language for early intervention, reinforcing that predictable, warm environments are themselves protective.
Be You
Translates mental health concepts into classroom-level practice, helping build children's emotional vocabulary and coping skills over time.
Raising Children Network — Grief and loss
Plain-language guidance for talking with a grieving child, helping them feel their loss can be spoken about safely.
The Invisible String
Gives children a concrete, reassuring image for staying connected to loved ones during grief, separation or loss.
The Huge Bag of Worries
Externalises anxiety as something that can be opened and shared, modelling that talking to a trusted adult makes worries lighter.
Michael Rosen's Sad Book
An honest picture book about sadness that models sitting with difficult feelings rather than rushing to fix them.
Sesame Street "Grief" resources
Breaks grief into small, concrete ideas using familiar characters, a gentle starting point for a hard topic.
Bluey
Models that big feelings happen and relationships can recover, building understanding of repair after conflict.
ABC Kids listen
Calm audio content for transition or rest times, supporting a trauma-informed sensory environment.
References
ABC Kids. (n.d.-a). Bluey. abc.net.au/abckids
ABC Kids listen. (n.d.). abc.net.au/kidslisten
Be You. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2026, from beyou.edu.au
Black Dog Institute. (2021). Children's mental health and wellbeing. Black Dog Institute.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). National Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing Study. Australian Government.
Department of Social Services. (2021). Safe and Supported: National framework 2021–2031. Australian Government.
Emerging Minds. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2026, from emergingminds.com.au
Figure 5. Early childhood services can be a stabilising, protective presence during and after a crisis.
Understanding the Context
Climate-related events and natural disasters, family and domestic violence, and displacement are crisis and emergency contexts. Australia's history of bushfires, flooding and cyclones means children are recognised as unique and vulnerable stakeholders in disaster management (Queensland Kids Partnership, 2026). Family and domestic violence creates both acute risk and chronic, ongoing harm.
Ecological and resilience theory show that a child's ability to manage crisis depends heavily on the stability of close relationships and immediate surroundings — meaning early childhood services can be a strong protective factor during and after disruptive events (Masten, 2021). Extended families and communities affected by disaster or violence also lose social support at the moment it is most needed.
Extreme events are increasing in number and severity, with well-documented impacts of extreme heat on early development (Queensland Kids Partnership, 2026). Family violence remains a national crisis — one Australian woman dies every 10 days at the hands of a current or former partner (Department of Social Services, 2022).
Impact on Children and Families
Young children experience acute fear responses to disaster or violence, which, unsupported, can affect long-term emotional regulation, sleep and attachment security. Evacuation or fleeing violence disrupts everyday life, familiar places and peer relationships, compounding a child's sense of instability. Exposure to family and domestic violence is strongly linked to child maltreatment and can affect the caregiving capacity of the parent being abused (AIHW, 2025).
Early childhood services are essential to maintaining a safe, calm, predictable space during crisis, and to having a familiar adult who can help children process frightening experiences through play and gentle conversation. Clear emergency management plans and a trauma-informed re-entry process are needed for children returning after evacuation or family violence disruption.
Australian Responses to Social Policy
The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 is the national framework addressing family, domestic and sexual violence, identifying children as directly affected rather than mere witnesses (Department of Social Services, 2022). This is supported by Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices, a community-led First Nations family safety plan running 2026–2036 (AIHW, 2026).
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework guides Australia's approach to disaster resilience, and the Thriving Kids in Disasters project advocates for including children's needs in disaster planning at state and local levels (Queensland Kids Partnership, 2026). One in three Australian women have been physically harmed by a partner since age fifteen (Department of Social Services, 2022). Policies require early childhood services to build trauma-aware plans and referral practice with family violence and disaster recovery services, making them part of a coordinated community safety net.
Table 5. Family violence indicators in Australia
Indicator
Figure
Source
Women killed by a current or former partner
1 every 10 days
Department of Social Services, 2022
Women physically harmed by a partner since age 15
1 in 3
Department of Social Services, 2022
Strategies for Practice
Create and review a child-centred emergency response plan — quiet evacuation procedures, clear explanations for children.
Provide trauma-informed re-entry support after disaster, evacuation or family violence disruption — flexible settling-in, extra key-person contact.
Use play-based strategies — sensory play, storytelling, art — to support coping without needing to verbalise experiences.
Maintain clear, confidential procedures for supporting families experiencing family violence, with staff trained to recognise risk indicators.
Community and Professional Partnerships
1800RESPECT
National family, domestic and sexual violence counselling service, with clear referral pathways.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission
Coordinates and measures the National Plan and provides sector resources.
Australian Red Cross
Disaster preparedness, recovery and support at evacuation centres.
Emerging Minds
Resources on supporting infants and young children in disaster and crisis.
Resources for Educators and Children
Projects, programs & websites
Thriving Kids in Disasters (tqkp.org.au).
1800RESPECT (1800respect.org.au).
Australian Red Cross "Get Prepared" resources.
Emerging Minds resources on children and natural disasters.
Books for children (birth–5 years)
Fire! by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.
A Kids Book About Family Violence by Rebecca Bond.
Milo's Monster by Tom Percival.
The Flood by Alison Lester.
Videos, shows & podcasts
Play School bushfire and flood episodes.
Sesame Street "Emergency Preparedness" materials.
1800RESPECT children's resources.
Resource Pedagogical Discussion
Thriving Kids in Disasters
Helps build child-centred emergency plans with honest explanations, building competence and control that support resilience.
1800RESPECT
Equips educators to respond safely and confidentially to disclosures of family violence, keeping the educator's role focused on the child's stability.
Australian Red Cross "Get Prepared"
Gives educators age-appropriate preparedness activities children can help build, supporting a sense of agency rather than helplessness.
Emerging Minds — natural disasters
Helps educators understand post-disaster behaviours like regression or clinginess as normal, supporting patient re-entry.
Fire!
Introduces bushfire at a safe emotional distance through an animal's point of view, offering reassurance that difficult events can be gotten through.
A Kids Book About Family Violence
Names family violence honestly without graphic detail, giving affected children words and peers age-appropriate understanding.
Milo's Monster
Externalises overwhelming emotion as a monster that shrinks once named, a versatile tool for any distressed child.
The Flood
An Australian story of communal recovery after flood, showing rebuilding as a shared, hopeful process.
Play School bushfire & flood episodes
Purpose-made, Australian-specific content for processing a shared community event.
1800RESPECT children's resources
Ready-made, age-appropriate language for helping children understand safety in the context of family violence.
References
1800RESPECT. (n.d.-a). Family, domestic and sexual violence counselling service. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from 1800respect.org.au
1800RESPECT. (n.d.-b). Children's resources. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from 1800respect.org.au
ABC Kids. (n.d.-b). Play School. abc.net.au/abckids
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2025). Closing the Gap targets — child protection. Australian Government.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026). Child protection Australia 2023–24. Australian Government.
Australian Red Cross. (n.d.). Get prepared. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from redcross.org.au
Bond, R. (2022). A kids book about family violence. A Kids Book About, Inc.
Department of Social Services. (2022). National plan to end violence against women and children 2022–2032. Australian Government.
Emerging Minds. (n.d.). Children and natural disasters. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from emergingminds.com.au
French, J., & Whatley, B. (2014). Fire! Angus & Robertson.
Lester, A. (2011). The flood. Allen & Unwin.
Masten, A. S. (2021). Resilience of children in disasters: A multisystem perspective. International Journal of Psychology, 56(1), 1–11.
