Leading child health researcher Professor Donna Cross has been appointed as Director of the new Early Childhood Development and Learning Collaboration, hosted by The Kids Research Institute Australia.
The initiative was launched late last year thanks to generous seed funding from the Minderoo Foundation through Telethon.
The Collaboration's role is to bring together researchers with consumers, educators, leading clinicians, and other practitioners to improve service delivery to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families, and communities. It will provide robust, practical evidence developed in a collaborative manner while maintaining high research integrity.
The Kids Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said Professor Cross brings great experience and enthusiasm to the role.
"We're looking for this Collaboration to provide the evidence to drive substantive changes in the systems that affect a child's early years. Donna impressed the selection panel with her clear vision for the Collaboration to engage broadly across the early years sector and work together to enhance evidence based practice and outcomes for children."
Professor Carapetis also announced that eminent educator Emeritus Professor Bill Louden has agreed to take on the role of Independent Chair of the Collaboration.
"Bill is highly respected within the sector and will have a crucial role as Independent Chair in ensuring that the work agenda for the Collaboration reflects the areas of most pressing need."
Minderoo Foundation CEO Mrs Nicola Forrest welcomed the appointments.
"The appointment of these two eminent professors of education into a medical research facility not only reflects our desire for a collaborative approach, but echoes the necessity for an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to service delivery to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and communities," Mrs Forest said.
Professor Cross, who commenced formally in the position today, said the Collaboration provides an important opportunity to conduct new, robust and practical research to support service delivery that meets the needs of vulnerable children, families, and communities.
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Find out more about the Collaboration.
The Kids Research Institute Australia media contact:
Elizabeth Chester M: 0409 988 530 E: Elizabeth.chester@telethonkids.org.au
Minderoo Foundation media contact:
Ian Kortlang M: +61 (0)413 946 712 E: kortlang@minderoo.com.au
About The Kids
The Kids Research Institute Australia has a strong background and track record in research, evaluation and implementation around improving outcomes in the early years of a child's development. It was a key partner in the Early Development Index being adapted and piloted in Australia, and its subsequent national roll out as the Australian Early Development Census.
Through its WA Child Health Survey and the seminal WA Aboriginal Child Health Survey, The Kids has provided the evidence and recommendations for many child health initiatives. It also has a proud history of advocacy, having lobbied for services through education and health services, resulting in the various models of family, child and parent centres and visiting midwife schemes.
The Kids has always worked closely with community and service providers in both framing the research approach and the translation of research findings into policy and practice. This approach is entrenched in the Institute's strategic plan: Working Together 2013-2017 and described in a number of programs in its IMPACT report.
About Minderoo
The Minderoo Foundation was founded by Andrew and Nicola Forrest in 2001 and was originally known as the Australian Children's Trust. The Foundation's work was based on the mandate to give a hand up, not a hand out and that ethos remains today. Over AU$222 million has been committed and given by Andrew and Nicola Forrest to the Foundation and philanthropic causes since its inception. The focus going forward is in six key areas; fighting modern slavery; ending indigenous disadvantage; ensuring all children in Australia thrive by five; nurturing new talent in the arts; strengthening community based partnerships; and attracting the world's best minds to Western Australia.