We support children, families and communities to understand physical and mental health and wellbeing and to access and receive quality healthcare. We also support the health and wellbeing of the people who work with children.

Our research team includes a range of health professionals (including nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, dentists, doctors, and paramedics) as well as many others who support children’s health and wellbeing (including people specialising in education, communications, media, and data scientists).

We work with children and families with a range of disabilities and health care needs, including those who are from First Nations communities, geographically, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and vulnerable communities.

The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) guides our work to ensure children’s voices are heard by those responsible for building an inclusive world for everyone.

Article 23 recognises that a “…disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child’s active participation in the community.”

Article 24 of the CRC recognises the “right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.”

• Abdulla, F., El-Raouf, M. M. A., Rahman, A., Aldallal, R., Mohamed, M. S., & Hossain, M. M. (2023). Prevalence and determinants of wasting among under-5 Egyptian children: Application of quantile regression. Food Science and Nutrition, 11(2), 1073-1083. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3144
• Andrews, K., Smith, M., & Cox, N. (2021). Physiotherapy: At what cost? Parents’ experience of performing chest physiotherapy for infants with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Child Health Care, 25(4), 616-627. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1367493520976481
• Cumming, T., & Wong, S. (2018). Towards a holistic conceptualisation of early childhood educators’ work-related well-being. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 20(3), 265-281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949118772573
• Cumming, T., Wong, S., & Logan, H. (2021). Early childhood educators’ well-being, work environments and ‘quality’: Possibilities for changing policy and practice. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 46(1), 50-65. https://doi.org/10.1177/1836939120979064
• Freire, K., Pope, R., Jeffrey, K., Andrews, K., Nott, M., & Bowman, T. (2022). Engaging with children and adolescents: A systematic review of participatory methods and approaches in research informing the development of health resources and interventions. Adolescent Research Review, 7(3), 335-354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-022-00181-w
• Freire, K., Pope, R., Size, I., Andrews, K., Fitz-Gerald, E., & Bowman, T. (2023). Social exercise interventions for children who have complex developmental needs: A systematic review. Journal of Child Health Care,13674935231190984. https://doi.org/10.1177/13674935231190984
• Logan, H., McFarland, L., Cumming, T., & Wong, S. (2021). Supporting educator well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of leadership in early childhood education and care organisations. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 46(4), 309-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/18369391211040940
• Stenson, S., Hutton, A., Fenton, A., & Grant, J. (2025). Pre-service education for registered nurses on mandatory reporting of child maltreatment: An integrative review. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 81, 126-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2025.01.024
• Zischke, C., Simas, V., Hing, W., Milne, N., Spittle, A., & Pope, R. (2021). The utility of physiotherapy assessments delivered by telehealth: A systematic review. Journal of Global Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.11.04072
• Andrews, K., Smith, M., & Cox, N. S. (2023). The physiotherapy consultation: A qualitative study of the experience of parents of infants with cystic fibrosis in Australia. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 39(3), 540-546. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2021.2023932
• Collins, S., Orth, T., Brunton, R., & Dryer, R. (2023). Child abuse and wellbeing: Examining the roles of self-compassion and fear of self. Child Abuse & Neglect, 138, 106089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106089
• Curtin, M., Iellamo, T., Anderson, D., Rassafiani, M., Parnell, T., Eagland, S., & Whitsed, R. (2025). Royal Far West’s allied health telehealth services for children post‐bushfires. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33(1), e13218, https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.13218.
• Gray, H., Snowdon, N., Ivory, N., & Allan, J. (2024). Family Empowerment Project provides therapy for substance use. Partyline, (86). https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/partyline/article/family-empowerment-project-provides-therapy-substance-use
• Hurley, C. R., McLeod, S., & Anthonappa, R. P. (2024). Extraction of primary maxillary incisors and children’s speech production: A case series. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2024.2355481
• Fraser, S., Grant, J., Mackean, T., Hunter, K., Keeler, N., Clapham, K., Edgar, D. W., Towers, K., Teague, W., & Ivers, R. (2021). Considering difference: Clinician insights into providing equal and equitable burns care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45(3), 220-226. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13110
• Fraser, S., Mackean, T., Grant, J., Hunter, K., Ryder, C., Kelly, J., Holland, A. J. A., Griffin, B., Clapham, K., Teague, W. J., Darton, A., & Ivers, R. Q. (2022). Patient journey mapping to investigate quality and cultural safety in burn care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families – development, application and implications. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), [1428]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08754-0
• Grant, J., Sivertsen, N., Deverix, J., & Steeb, A. (2021). ‘It looks like a breadbox’. A pilot study investigating implementation of the Pepi-Pod® program with Aboriginal families in metropolitan South Australia. Primary Health Care Research and Development, 22, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423621000293
• Lines, L. E., Kakyo, T. A., Grant, J. M., & Hutton, A. (2024). ‘We aren’t valued for who we are’: Australian nurses’ and midwives’ perceptions of challenges and barriers to safeguarding children. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, e16-e23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2024.03.002
• Lines, L. E., Kakyo, T. A., Grant, J. M., & Hutton, A. (2023). Invisibility of nurses and midwives in the public health response to child abuse and neglect: A policy review. Collegian, 30(2), 222-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2022.09.002
• Lines, L. E., Kakyo, T. A., Hutton, A. E., & Grant, J. M. (2023). Nurses’ and midwives’ contributions to a public health response to keeping children safe from abuse and neglect – a Delphi study. Journal of Child Health Care, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13674935231153248
• Lines, L. E., Kakyo, T. A., Hutton, A., Mwashala, W. W., & Grant, J. M. (2023). How are responses to child abuse and neglect conceptualised in Australian policy? Children and Youth Services Review, 145, [106794]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106794
• McGill, N., Curtin, M., Hodgins, G., & Parnell, T., Verdon, S., Crockett, J., & Davison, W. R. (2024). Supporting children’s recovery from bushfires: Stakeholders’ views about the impact of a community-based intervention program on children. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 32(1), 42-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.13060
• Supporting children’s recovery from bushfires: Stakeholders’ views about the impact of a community-based intervention program on children. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 32(1), 42-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.13060
• Morrow, A., Orr, N., Nash, K., Coates, H., Cross, C., Evans, J. R., Gunasekera, H., Harkus, S., Harrison, L., McLeod, S., McMahon, C., Neal, K., Salins, A., & Macniven, R. (2023). Parent perspectives of ear health and the relationship with children’s speech and language in the longitudinal study of indigenous children. Children, 10(1), [165]. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010165
• Parnell, T., Robson, K., Nelson, S., Xie, G. & Hoffman, L., et al. (2024). Preparing healthcare professional students for rural, regional and remote practice: Demonstrating the effectiveness of an interprofessional simulation learning experience. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 38(5), 846–854. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2024.2367424
• Pourzamanidehkordi, Z., Akbarfahimi, M., Karamali Esmaili, S., & Rassafiani, M. (2024). Effect of Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) on motivation of children with cerebral palsy: A pilot clinical randomized controlled trial. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2024.2375524.
• Rahman, A., & Hossain, M. M. (2023). Prevalence and risk factors of underweight among under-5 children in Bangladesh: Evidence from a countrywide cross-sectional study. PLoS One, 18(4 April), 1-15. [e0284797]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284797
• Rahman, A., & Hossain, M. M. (2022). Prevalence and determinants of fever, ARI and diarrhea among children aged 6-59 months in Bangladesh. BMC Pediatrics, 22(1), [117]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03166-9
• Rassafiani, M., Babazadeh, N., Behnia, F., & Gharebaghi, S. (2024). Applying CO-OP approach in children with specific learning disorder: Single-subject outcome study.  Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 15394492241289623, https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492241289623.
• Riyahi, A., Hassani Mehraban, A., Rassafiani, M., Pournasiri, Z., & Akbarfahimi, M. (2025). Challenges in toileting evaluation and interventions for children with cerebral palsy: A Delphi study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(1), https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2025.050717.
• Riyahi, A., Akbarfahimi, M., Rassafiani, M., Pournasiri, Z., Ahmadi, M., & Hassani Mehraban, A. (2024). A Delphi exploration of toileting activity performance in individuals with cerebral palsy within the ICF‐CY framework: Unveiling influential factors. Occupational Therapy International, 2024(1), 9994862, https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9994862.
• Situmorang, H. E., Sweet, L., Graham, K., & Grant, J. (2022). Health care provider’s perceptions of factors that influence infant mortality in Papua Indonesia: A qualitative study. Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives, 35(2), 201-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2021.04.007
• Sadeghian Afarani, R., Fatorehchy, S., Rassafiani, M., & Vahedi, M. et al. (2024). Psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the functional mobility scale: Assessing validity and reliability. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2024.2314489
• Sivertsen, N., Deverix, J., Gregoric, C., & Grant, J. (2022). A call for culture-centred care: exploring health workers’ perspectives of positive care experiences and culturally responsive care provision to Aboriginal women and their infants in mainstream health in South Australia. Health Research Policy and Systems, 20(1), [132]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-022-00936-w