Welcome to Family Focus!
Family Focus was co-created by Australian researchers, clinicians and, most importantly, the parents of children who have complex developmental needs.
We know that caring for children with complex developmental needs can be stressful and overwhelming at times, and parents and caregivers want to do the best they can for their children. Family Focus is designed to help. It brings together lived experience, clinical experience and research evidence on supporting children with developmental concerns and their families.
- Monash Children's Hospital
- Childhood Dementia Initiative
- Monash Health
Who is Family Focus designed for?
Family Focus is for parents like you.
Parents can find it difficult to access useful information in the early days, when their child is undergoing investigations for a loss of skills or a change in development. Barriers like location, caregiving responsibilities, family commitments, financial concerns, or transport can make access difficult. We've assembled this information in one place for your convenience.
This portal is Australian focused, bringing together research, best practices, parent voices, and clinician insights to shape content and learning modules. We bring you the knowledge and wisdom of other parents, so you can read about things that others describe as meaningful.
Who can sign up?
Currently, this is only available to families through the Monash Children’s Developmental Regression Clinic. If your child attends the clinic and your family is interested in participating, please speak with your healthcare practitioner during your next appointment.
What's included?
This portal includes 10 modules and 6 podcasts for all parents, with a special focus on those raising a child with complex developmental needs. Content is grouped and colour-coded by theme for easy navigation.
As you explore this content, remember you know your family best. Focus on what feels relevant to your situation—there's no need to read everything.
We have colour coded the modules to help you recognise each theme.
Our team acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, gather and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
We thank all the parents, carers and siblings who contributed their stories, ideas and feedback at different stages of developing this program, many of whom we cannot acknowledge here.
The development and evaluation of this program is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.