Child Wellbeing Project

The aim of this project is to explore current conceptualisations and gaps in understanding relating to child wellbeing in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings, from the perspectives of educators, families and children. In 2022 we conducted co-design workshops, with a focus on child wellbeing, with members of our Research Network of Early Childhood Professionals. The current project responds to these workshops, which revealed the need to explore child and family perspectives of wellbeing and establish a common language for children, families and educators to discuss (and promote) child wellbeing in ECEC settings.

The key research questions are:
1. What methodology can be used to elicit children’s conceptualisations about their own well-being?
2. How do parents’ and children conceptualise child well-being?
3. What are the barriers and enablers to supporting children’s well-being in the ECEC context from the perspectives of children and their parents?