• celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families this NAIDOC Week

• how to identify and support children and families experiencing food insecurity

• free webinars to support your professional development and practice

• incorporating children’s voices into practice and processes

• how systems support children of parents living with mental illness

• the latest highlights in child mental health research.

NAIDOC Week: 5–12 July

Held in the first week of July every year, NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the history, culture, strengths and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For practitioners, this might mean thinking of ways to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strengths through your practice, or it might be engaging with local NAIDOC Week events.  

If you’re looking to support your work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, you might like to engage with some of our resources:

• Parenting our way: A resource series aimed at supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and families. We encourage you to share these resources with parents you are working with.

• Improving the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: Developed in partnership with The Healing Foundation, this course aims to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

• Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children: A framework for understanding: A free online course that aims to support non-Indigenous practitioners to develop the skills and understanding to build genuine partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.  

New short article: Identifying and supporting children and families experiencing food insecurity 

Our latest short article draws on research and practice resources to guide practitioners on how to identify families experiencing food insecurity and the strategies, programs and interventions that can provide support. 

Webinars to support your professional development 

Responding to uncertainty: A compassionate approach to practice  

Wednesday 15 July, 12:30–1:30 pm (AEST) 

Co-produced by Child Family Community Australia (CFCA), this webinar addresses how compassion and tolerance of uncertainty can support practitioners and the children and families they work with. 

Implementing support for children experiencing attention and behaviour challenges 

Wednesday 29 July, 7:00–8:30 pm (AEST) 

Presented in partnership with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), this webinar explores how to turn plans into practice by implementing support goals for children with attention and behavioural challenges. 

Latest practitioner podcast: Incorporating children's voices into practice and processes

In this episode, we’re joined by Becca Allchin, an occupational therapist and clinical researcher, who shares her experience in engaging with children to gather their perspectives on programs. She outlines the important role of creating safety when incorporating children’s voices into processes and practice.

How systems support children of parents living with mental illness: Insights from Dr Melinda Goodyear 

Around one in four children globally has a parent experiencing mental health challenges. These children often take on extra responsibilities or carry worry, uncertainty or silence within their families. But they are not alone and many people are able to help when families face difficulties.

In a recent project, Dr Melinda Goodyear (Chief Advisor, Policy and Impact at Emerging Minds) and colleagues explored how building a ‘support village’ impacted children of parents living with mental illness. This research reinforced something that many practitioners already understand: children’s mental health is shaped not just by individual interventions but what surrounds them, including their support networks.

Keen to find out more?

• Read the article – It takes a village: Supporting children whose parents have a mental illness

• Read Dr Melinda Goodyear’s LinkedIn post about her research

• Follow Emerging Minds on LinkedIn for similar content
  

Research highlights: May 2026 

• Financial hardship and psychological distress among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

• Associations between parenting practices and parental burnout, mental health and children’s externalising behaviours 

• The impact of COVID-19 on children’s social-emotional skills, behavioural adjustment and psychological wellbeing

• Mental health continuum of care for children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)