Next steps for improving our disaster management systems for kids

TKiD little girl in puddle
Organisation:

ARACY - Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth / Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP)

PROJECT NAME

Thriving Kids in Disasters (TKiD) Phase 2

GRANTEE

ARACY - Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth / Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP)
GRANT AMOUNT

$106,931

YEAR/S OF FUNDING

2024/2025 - eight-month project

Building partnerships and an action plan to improve the disaster management arrangements supporting Queensland kids.

About this grant

The John Villiers Trust (JVT) has committed $106,931 to Phase 2 of the Thriving Kids in Disasters (TKiD) initiative.

Phase 2 builds on the findings of the Phase 1 TKiD report which examined how current disaster management (DM) arrangements in Queensland could better support the resilience and wellbeing of infants, children, and young people. 

Phase 2 focuses on building partnerships and an action plan to respond to the recommendations of the Phase 1 report.

Supporting country Queensland

JVT is passionate about country Queensland, and we believe the future of its communities is in the hands of young people. 

One of the findings from TKiD Phase 1 is that the challenge of disasters is even more pressing for children living in rural, regional, and remote communities. It also found that disasters are a critical threat to positive child development, and this has been insufficiently recognised. 

And with disasters increasing in severity and frequency, we need to act now to improve the systems and supports in place to mitigate impacts. (More information about the TKiD report findings)

System change goals

JVT’s funding for TKiD Phase 2 will allow collaborators to:

  1. Educate, disseminate and discuss the report findings 
  2. Build a collective with stakeholders to develop an action plan to create system change.
  3. Create a community of practice to share available information, resources, and best practice.
  4. Identify ways to get youth involvement to ensure the solutions are fit for purpose 
Alignment with JVT’s priorities 

TKiD Phase 2 aligns with our mission and goals and meets our five criteria for support. It is:

  • a collaboration between ARACY and TQKP with multiple agencies and partners in government, communities, not-for-profits, peak and industry bodies, and academic and research institutes. 
  • an opportunity to support our communities and our children before disasters strike and intervene early to reduce impacts. 
  • amplifying the voices, expertise and experiences of children, young people, families and community recovery partners and practitioners.
  • intended to improve the entire system of disaster management, preparedness, and recovery arrangements for children and young people. 
  • a way to build capacity by connecting key players, facilitating collaborative action, and contributing to state and national policy, practice and capability improvement.
Grant update – April 2025 

Thriving Kids in Disasters Action and Investment Plan released 

The Thriving Kids in Disasters Action and Investment Plan was released in April 2025. The Plan offers strategies for funders, decision-makers, communities and organisations to make a difference to the social, physical, mental and cultural wellbeing of kids, families and communities within the context of disaster risk reduction.

The Plan puts last year’s TKiD report into action, identifying actionable and fundable initiatives and projects to enhance disaster management and support the resilience and wellbeing of infants, children, and young people when preparing for, during, and recovering from events.

The informed, robust, evidence-based Plan benefits from the input and knowledge of voices from right across the system. 

TKiD has demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done, however they need finance and expertise to translate knowing into doing. Now others who care about Queensland’s children have the opportunity to be part of improving our disaster systems by helping fund or develop the next phase. 

This is an opportunity to not only help reduce the long-term impacts and trauma of disasters on infants, children and young people in Queensland, but a chance to use the momentum built by TKiD to demonstrate how this can be done in other states.  

More info 

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