The Flourishing Child: WA Study Examines Critical First Five Years of Development
While most adults can readily describe what it means to flourish—feeling healthy, connected, and purposeful—conceptualising this state for young children has remained notably absent from mainstream discourse. A pioneering research initiative in Western Australia is now directly addressing this gap, seeking to define and promote childhood flourishing from conception through to age five.
Defining Childhood Flourishing
Dr Jackie Davis, Co-Director and Chief Investigator of The Flourishing Child project, leads a dedicated team exploring this fundamental question. Their work represents a significant shift in approach, moving from treating problems after they emerge to actively fostering positive development from the very beginning of life.
The Flourishing Child operates as a specialised sub-project within the larger ORIGINS study, a monumental ten-year longitudinal investigation conducted by The Kids Research Institute Australia in collaboration with Joondalup Health Campus and The University of Western Australia. This comprehensive study tracks more than ten thousand families, encompassing over twenty thousand individuals, from pregnancy until children reach approximately five years old.
"The Flourishing Child is a novel early childhood intervention designed to help parents support their child's physical and mental wellbeing from conception to age five," explains Dr Davis. The research specifically targets early identification of health and wellbeing challenges, providing accessible supports and interventions for families. This includes tailored assistance for children with additional needs, such as neurodivergent children or those managing chronic conditions, and for families experiencing various forms of disadvantage.
How the Groundbreaking Study Operates
The project is currently recruiting around six hundred parents and primary carers from the Perth metropolitan area who have a child aged from zero to five years, including children up to their sixth birthday. Developed through extensive collaboration with parents, early childhood professionals, researchers, and service providers, the study intentionally incorporates the authentic voices of Western Australian families alongside deep expertise in child development.
Participating families engage with the innovative 'Flourishing Check', a newly developed online questionnaire that encourages thoughtful reflection on a child's wellbeing and early development. This tool assesses flourishing across six distinct domains:
- Safety and security
- Love and connection
- A positive lifestyle
- Overall wellbeing
- Fun and play
- Curiosity and exploration
This assessment helps parents identify areas where their child might benefit from additional support. Following the check, parents receive a personalised 'Pathway Tool' that connects them directly to local resources, programs, and services, equipping them with practical skills and heightened awareness to actively support their child's flourishing journey.
The Paramount Importance of the Early Years
Scientific evidence overwhelmingly highlights the first two thousand days of life—from birth to age five—as a period of maximum developmental brain plasticity. This window represents the greatest potential to positively influence health and wellbeing trajectories across the entire lifespan.
"During these early years, a child's brain is highly adaptable, which means the right support and experiences can help them develop skills to manage their emotions, focus their attention, and solve problems more effectively later in life," Dr Davis emphasises. A child's developing brain is often compared to a sponge, absorbing environmental influences with remarkable efficiency.
These early experiences do more than simply shape behaviour; they can biologically influence development through a process known as "developmental programming", which has demonstrable effects on long-term physical health, mental wellbeing, and even disease risk. When asked which early experiences exert the most significant influence, Dr Davis identifies several key factors: positive and supportive relationships, family stability, adequate health and nutrition, and consistently safe environments.
However, she also cautions that delays in identifying developmental or mental health concerns, coupled with limited access to timely services, can exacerbate early childhood vulnerabilities. "That's why understanding when and how to access the right care is so crucial during these critical developmental periods. As early as possible, from the start of life," she asserts. "Research evidence strongly supports this approach."
Empowering Parents with Crucial Support
A concerning finding from the research indicates that families are significantly underutilising available free universal screening opportunities, though the precise reasons remain unclear. "The proportion of eligible children attending child health checks in metropolitan WA is only thirty per cent," Dr Davis reveals.
Many families report being unaware of the multitude of different government and non-government programs and services that could be available to them. Furthermore, when problems are detected, parents frequently experience feelings of disempowerment, a sentiment strongly evidenced through earlier stakeholder consultations with both parents and service providers.
The foundational philosophy of The Flourishing Child is that supporting a child to flourish must begin with empowering their parents. "Trajectories are not set for life. Children—and adults—can change their pathways with targeted and timely supports that frequently already exist in the community, both through in-person activities or via digital technologies," Dr Davis affirms.
The research team has already secured national funding to test the feasibility and acceptability of their approach and continues to seek additional funding to expand their vital work. They actively encourage parental participation, highlighting the dual benefit for families. "Not only does The Flourishing Child provide an opportunity for parents to be part of novel research, but it also enables identification of children who might benefit from targeted interventions or supports," she notes.
Ultimately, the ORIGINS study aims to deepen understanding of how early environments impact the development of chronic disease, with the overarching goal of creating more targeted, effective prevention and intervention strategies. The aspiration is clear: to help all families and children flourish throughout their entire lives, building a foundation of wellbeing that begins in the earliest, most formative years.
