Raising Children Network is an Australian Government funded website that provides evidence-based tips and tools for everyday parenting from pregnancy to teens. It is a free resource viewed over 50 000 times per day.

Through its mobile-friendly website and award-winning apps, raisingchildren.net.au offers more than 2000 scientifically-reviewed articles on everything to do with parenting, including:

• Pregnancy and giving birth
• Child and adolescent health, development and learning
• Family relationships and wellbeing
• Being a parent
• Children with autism and disability
• Services and support throughout Australia.

All information on the website is developed in partnership with recognised experts across Australia so that resources incorporate the latest research and best practice. It passes through a rigorous quality assessment, receives approval from our  Scientific Advisory Board and is regularly reviewed.

Our philosophy

The Raising Children Network website is based on the philosophy that all children and families are individual and different. By helping parents access and understand information based on the best science in parenting and child health and development, they can be equipped to make decisions that work for them in their individual family circumstances.

Professionals using Raising Children Network in practice

Raising Children Network is a free and valuable resource for professionals and agencies that work with parents, including general practitioners, maternal and child health nurses, child care workers, preschool and school teachers, social workers and psychologists. Professionals refer parents to the site, download and distribute its information to the parents they work with and use the resources in their own professional development.
 

For example, maternal child health nurses watch Raising Children Network’s breastfeeding videos with new mothers and use this resource to help answer common questions, and disability support workers use Raising Children Network’s My Neighbourhood feature to help parents of children with disability locate nearby support and special health services.

Types of Raising Children Network resources

The Raising Children Network website offers users free access to:

• Over 2000 evidence-based articles on a wide range of parenting topics
• Over 50 Parenting in Picture guides that help parents – particularly those with low literacy – learn skills such as how to care for a newborn
• An online health dictionary, A-Z Health, and a disability-specific reference, A-Z Disability
• How-to demonstration videos such as Baby Cues, Breastfeeding and Talking to Teens
• Interactive webpages such as the award winning Birth Choices , Home Safety Guide, and Grow and Learn Together
• Apps for smartphones such as Baby Karaoke, which is a highly popular sing-a-long for young children, and the Children with Autism and Disability Pathfinder app that helps parents and carers find funding, services and support for their child’s needs
• Search tool My Neighbourhood to find local services, activities and resources
• Discussion forums and opportunities for users to share via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus.

The Raising Children Network also shares its tips and tools on Facebook and Twitter.  This allows people to like and share the website’s valuable information, thereby reaching new audiences.

History of Raising Children Network

The Raising Children Network was launched in 2006 and is funded by the Australian Government. The project is overseen by a two-member consortium, comprising the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute’s  Centre for Community Child Health and the  Parenting Research Centre.  Representatives from both consortium members form the  Raising Children Network Board of Directors.