MCRI Submission to the Inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Centre for Community Child Health, welcomes the Inquiry into Thriving Kids.
Thriving Kids is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build equitable, inclusive systems that support the development and wellbeing of all Australian children. With 12.5% of children starting school developmentally vulnerable, bold, system-wide reform must underpin Thriving Kids.
Our submission proposes three core elements to guide the Thriving Kids system: an uplift of mainstream health and education, empowering families and local solutions with national guardrails.
We acknowledge the significant contributions of over 15 team members and two external reviewers to the development of our submission.
Submission date: October 2025
Contact us
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Key researchers
Professor Sharon Goldfeld
Role: Theme Director - Population Health
Research area: The Centre for Community Child Health
Rachel Whiffen
Role: Mental Health Policy and Impact Lead - Policy and Equity
Research area: The Centre for Community Child Health