Minister for Health Greg Hunt will today launch the Raising Healthy Minds children’s wellbeing app at a virtual event hosted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Raising Healthy Minds is Raising Children Network’s most responsive, intuitive digital tool yet: an app that grows with the child and is tailored to their needs and circumstances.

“We know that parents and health professionals all over Australia care about children’s mental health and wellbeing, from questioning whether behaviour is normal to seeking advice during stressful times. The COVID-19 pandemic has only added more pressure to the job of raising healthy children,” says the new Director of the Raising Children Network, Derek McCormack.

Raising Healthy Minds gives parents, carers and professionals the proactive support they need to address a child’s wellbeing, behaviour and emotions, as well as providing the latest evidence-based information around self and family care.

Covering over 30 topics at launch and with more being added regularly, the free app looks at subjects including anxiety, stress, work-life balance, bullying, temperament, grief and loss, gender identity, shyness, depression, bonding and exercise. It has been developed with a diverse panel of 85 parents and 21 child health experts, led by co-chair of the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Professor Frank Oberklaid, and Mr McCormack.

“Raising Healthy Minds is designed to give clear and concise help wherever and whenever it is needed,” said Mr McCormack. “It can be tailored to the needs of each child and adult user, including how parents can take care of themselves, and know where to go for additional support if they need it.”

The parent of a two-year-old, for example, might be sent a notification about toddler tantrums and how to handle them as a family. The app then guides users through normal toddler behaviour, provides tips to head-off tantrums – such as identifying triggers and reducing stress – isolates possible concerns and directs users as to when and how to seek further help.

Parents and carers are important influences in a child’s life, so equipping them with reliable, easy to understand information about child development and wellbeing can help them to raise confident, resilient kids, who become confident, resilient adults. This is particularly important given that, left unaddressed, social and emotional difficulties emerging in childhood can become ongoing mental health issues later in life.

Download the app at raisingchildren.net.au/raisinghealthyminds

For media enquiries, please contact:
Stephanie Childs
Strategic Communications Manager
0407 925 523
media@raisingchildren.net.au