NHMRC grant to expand financial hardship program

An initiative to improve the financial and mental wellbeing of families facing hardship will be expanded after receiving a federal funding boost.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) Dr Anna Price was awarded a $1.5 million NHMRC Partnership Project Grant to evaluate the expansion of the Healthier Wealthier Families (HWF) initiative in Queensland, using the Putting Queensland Kids First plan.

The HWF program connects child and family health services with community-based financial counselling to help families navigate rising living costs, access financial supports and manage financial pressures.

Adapted from a model developed in Glasgow, Scotland, the initiative has been previously piloted in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, where it helped families access financial supports earlier and reduce stress.

Dr Price said financial hardship was common for families with young children and often reflected broader economic pressures, rather than individual circumstances.

“Raising children costs money and many families are finding it hard to afford all the essentials they need like housing, food and energy bills,” Dr Price said.

Image: Dr Anna Price

“Financial counsellors can help families understand their options, access relevant government payments and deal with urgent issues like debt or bills. This project will provide practical and confidential support at times when families need it.”

Dr Price and her team will also evaluate if connecting financial counselling with early childhood health services improve caregivers’ financial and emotional wellbeing. They will also investigate whether the initiative could be offered in more areas across Australia.

“Health services see families regularly in the early years of a child’s life, so it makes sense that they connect families with other support that already exists in the community,” Dr Price said.

“By bringing key services together, we can make it easier for families to access help earlier and reduce the stress that financial hardship places on parents and children.”

Key HWF partners and collaborators are Queensland Health, UnitingCare Queensland, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), Western Sydney University and Deakin University, with philanthropic support for the project provided by Paul Ramsay Foundation and Ian Potter Foundation.

Read more about MCRI’s Policy and Equity research.