Children shaping policy and practice
December 2025
Children are capable contributors to research, policy and service design. We enable their voices to shape the decisions, systems and outcomes that affect them.
We gathered evidence on how to involve children and young people in matters that affect them, to create a free, practical toolkit. Partnering with Polyglot Theatre, we trialled creative, child-led engagement methods in two early childhood and three community health settings in Victoria. Using immersive arts-based activities, we captured children’s perspectives on support services to embed child voice in meaningful, ethical ways.
Our impact
Toolkit
Launched the Voice of the Child toolkit with a webinar to an audience of 971 attendees.
Child-centred partnerships
Collaborated with Polyglot Theatre and five Victorian service sites. Created new connections across early years organisations, local, state and federal governments, universities and hospitals.
Strengthening practice
Services are learning how to apply creative, evidence-informed approaches to engaging children in their own contexts and communities.
Advancing children's rights
Working together to uphold children’s rights and enable even the youngest voices to be heard, valued and acted upon.
Next steps
Our work will expand nationally in 2026 to test creative methods of engaging children in three more early childhood education and care settings. Learnings will be used to refine the Voice of the Child toolkit and develop additional resources. These resources will be available to support communities, services and other organisations to capture and respond to the needs of children and young people.
The Voice of the Child research and toolkit support the meaningful involvement of children and young people, and the creation of opportunities for them to shape research, decision making, policy, and practice. The Voice of the Child was supported by Roz Zalewski OAM and Jeremy Ruskin KC, AbbVie Pty. Ltd., VicHealth, Minderoo Foundation, and the MCRI Impact & Consumer Involvement team.
This case study originally appeared in the Centre's 2025 Impact Report.