Our goal is for child and family partnerships is to be both empowering for and supportive of the people we are working with, but that they also lead to better outcomes for families and children experiencing adversity across Australia. The Emerging Minds Family Forum seeks to further this valuable work, while also expanding our knowledge and understanding of the needs of families.
The forum has been thoughtfully established under the guidance of lived experience mentors to be a safe, respectful, authentic and effective space for lived experience expertise to be shared.
The EMFF meets every two months and focusses on a variety of aims, including:
- understanding the lived experience and needs of children and families
- identifying resources that may support child and family health literacy
- identifying resources that may assist families and children who have experienced difficulties or hardships to foster positive social and emotional wellbeing for children
- identifying resources that may support families and children to feel empowered and navigate the services and systems they access; and
- gathering insights and perspectives that will inform policy, procedures, strategy and the overall direction of Emerging Minds.
In addition to these regular meetings, Emerging Minds has held targeted diversity and inclusion workshops focusing on understanding the unique needs of families from LGBTIQ+, CALD and disability communities, as well as families experiencing poverty.
Outside of these meetings, Forum members are also involved in all stages of our co-design processes, including: engaging, scoping, developing, reviewing and evaluation.