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The findings from a new survey for Family Day Care educators which was launched by Everymind today will guide the development of an online training program targeting the mental health and wellbeing of children.
The development of online learning tool is being led by the Prevention Hub, Australia’s first integrated research initiative into preventing anxiety and depression which is co-led by the Black Dog Institute and Everymind.
Everymind Project Lead, Mental Health and Research, Dr Sally Fitzpatrick said one of the Prevention Hub’s key priorities is around supporting educators working in early childhood to prevent anxiety and depression in children.
“Family Cay Care educators play an important role in the lives of children in their care and are well placed to promote positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes,” said Dr Fitzpatrick.
“In order to provide that support for children’s development, educators need to develop particular knowledge, skills and practices.”
“Our focus is to deliver and research professional development approaches that build educator capacity through a self-paced online training program specifically designed to meet their needs.”
The key findings from the survey which include insights from educators about topics ranging from their attitudes towards online learning through to their preferences for how content is presented to overall site design and time allowances, will guide the development of a fit-for-purpose online learning program.
Everymind Project Lead, Mental Health and Research, Dr Sally Fitzpatrick said the survey questions will explore the mental health and wellbeing of educators themselves and examine how their own mental health shapes their interactions with the children in their care.
“This is an important aspect of the research project,” said Dr Fitzpatrick.
“The survey asks educators questions related to their own mental health, the self-care strategies they use to manage stress, and the needs they have for support.
“This information will help highlight current strengths within the family day care workforce and identify opportunities to improve support for self-care practice and professional development.”
If you work in the family day care sector, we want to hear from you. To complete the survey visit Family Day Care Survey.
About the Prevention Hub
Co-led by the Black Dog Institute and Everymind, and supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, the Prevention Hub is Australia’s first integrated research translation initiative for preventing anxiety and depression.
The Prevention Hub focuses on implementing and evaluating preventive strategies for anxiety and depression in workplace, school, and healthcare settings to achieve the greatest possible impact and reach.
Published: 8 April 2019
