About Us
Who We Are
ARACY's purpose is to champion all Australian children and young people to thrive.
ARACY is relentless in our pursuit of the wellbeing of all Australian children and young people. We drive systemic change, collaborate with communities, and amplify young voices to create a healthier future. Our work focuses on prevention, early intervention, and equity.
As our children’s needs evolve, so too must the support systems that nurture them. ARACY is committed to advocating for best practices and policies that prevent disease and promote holistic health, ensuring equitable care for all.
In today’s fast-paced world, parents, carers, educators, health professionals, and policymakers face the constant challenge of adapting to new demands. Governments must take the lead in driving systemic improvements, overcoming the complexities of different jurisdictions and sectors to genuinely prioritise young Australians.
Our team stands at the forefront of this mission, bringing together evidence, practitioners and policymakers to develop child-centred strategies that make a real difference.
We genuinely listen to and amplify the voices of young people, highlighting their issues and the solutions they envision.
We respect the wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and support the Uluru Statement from the Heart. ARACY is dedicated to bridging the equity gap between First Nations children and their non-First Nations peers. We treasure the rich and diverse cultures and customs of First Nations people, recognising them as valued knowledge holders, leaders, and partners in creating the conditions for all our children to thrive.
As a nonpartisan organisation, ARACY remains independent and objective in our advocacy for holistic wellbeing, including health. We aim for sustainable system changes that prevent disease and promote early intervention, while our commitment to the complete wellbeing of young people drives us to seek meaningful and lasting improvements.
Join ARACY’s journey towards a future where every child and young person in Australia leads a vibrant, healthy life.
Our History Highlights
ARACY was established to harness the expertise and resources of individuals and organisations in developing innovative solutions to the range of complex problems affecting the health, development and wellbeing of increasing numbers of young Australians.
Founder and 2003 Australian of the Year Professor Fiona Stanley labelled the organisation:
“the most broadly based collaborative venture ever attempted in Australia, to address a social issue of major national significance.”
2023-2024
- 2024 UNICEF - ARACY Wellbeing of Australia’s Children Index - Learning Paper
- 2024 ARACY's second rebrand
- 2023 Launched First 'Future Healthy Countdown 2030' series in the Medical Journal of Australia with VicHealth and MCRI
- 2023 Place-based initiatives in Australia: An overview
- 2023 Invited to be on the Department of Social Services' Early Years Strategy Expert Advisory Panel
- 2023 Launched Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children
- 2023 UNICEF - ARACY Wellbeing of Australia’s Children Index - Healthy Paper
2020-2022
- 2022 Maximising the Middle launched
- 2022 Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership launched
- 2021 National Early Language and Literacy Strategy (NELLS)
- 2021 UNICEF Australia and Australia Launch Child Wellbeing Index.
- 2021 Partnership with EI Pulse to co-create a mobile app to measure students’ wellbeing
- 2021 Joined Thrive By 5
- 2021 Kids at the crossroads
- 2021 Convened the Early Years Catalysing Group
- 2020 ARACY-UNICEF Australia COVID-19 Knowledge Acceleration Hub
- 2020 National Early Years Summit
2013-2019
- 2019 ARACY releases policy recommendation document Our Children: They don’t vote but they do matter ahead of the Federal Election
- 2018 ARACY releases third report card
- 2018 ARACY is tasked with developing The National Child Health Action Plan 2020-2030 by the Australian Government
- 2017 Parent Engagement Conference
- 2017 What Works for Kids website launched
- 2016 First 1000 Days Partnership launches
- 2015 Common Approach training for practitioners begins
- 2014 Parent engagement in schools project begins
- 2013 ARACY releases second report card
2005-2012
- 2012 ARACY'S First Rebrand
- 2012 Right@Home Trial
- 2010 Middle years symposium
- 2009 ARACY conference: Transforming Australia for our children's future
- 2009 Inaugural ARACY forum – Community attitudes to children: harmful or helpful?
- 2008 ARACY releases first report card
- 2007 Commitment to Young Australians
- 2006 Australasian Adolescent health conference
- 2006 Creating child friendly cities conference
- 2005 ARACY conference on the 'Know-Do' gap turning research into action
ABOUT US
Looking for more?
Search through our extensive Resource Library including Research papers, Submissions, Reports and much more.
More about us
Our Board
ARACY is a not-for-profit company, governed by a Board of Directors. Meet our Board Members.
Our Staff
We’re proud to have a dedicated team of compassionate and talented staff at ARACY. Meet the team.
Our Partners
Partnering with ARACY means joining a vibrant network of people and organisations committed to making a tangible difference. Meet our Partners.
Annual Reports
The ARACY Annual Report provides an overview of the organisation’s financial and operational activities. FInd them here.
ARACY's The Nest
What's in The Nest?
With six connected areas, The Nest ensures young Australians have everything they need for the best start in life, helping them reach their highest potential.
Our Nest projects
Using The Nest, has helped ARACY to be at the forefront of disease prevention and the promotion of holistic health for young Australians.
The Nest initiatives
Here you’ll see some examples of how The Nest has been used in organisations outside of ARACY across Australia.