Thriving and On Track: How capacity building is enhancing early childhood development in Logan and Inala
The first 5 years of life are critical to a child’s development. These years contribute meaningfully to how a person’s health, learning, and wellbeing is shaped for years to come.
Thriving and On Track (TOTs) is a collaborative, systems response that has been co-developed over the last 6 to 7 years to improve access to health screening, early intervention services and family support services for young children in the Logan and Inala areas south of Brisbane. TOTS is proving how early, place-based intervention can make a lasting difference for children, families and early childhood educators, as backed by the findings of a longitudinal study conducted by Griffith University.
About the TOTs approach to early childhood development
Launched in 2019, TOTs was created to address gaps in health, development and wellbeing services identified by the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). Data from the census showed that children aged 0 to 5 in the Brisbane South PHN region were at higher risk of developmental vulnerability, particularly in areas such as language, social skills, emotional wellbeing, and physical health.
The TOTs Initiative works to address childhood development challenges by working directly within early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres and local hubs to provide culturally appropriate, accessible support for children, their families and educators.
TOTs team members play a central role by training educators in child development, providing tools for sensitive family conversations, and guiding staff in using effective classroom strategies.
At its core, the initiative has 2 aims:
Helping families access health and developmental supports early.
Building the capacity of educators and communities to respond to children’s needs.
TOTs evaluation finds early childhood educators key to improving rates of screening and early intervention for children and families needing additional support
An evaluation conducted by Griffith University highlighted the impact of the TOTs model and its multi-pronged approach to building the capacity of educators and families to support children to receive the support needed to thrive beyond early childhood and into their school years.
There are 3 factors that drive this approach:
1. Training and coaching for educators focused on using a formal screening tool, engaging in sensitive conversations with families, and understanding their role in child development.
2. Multidisciplinary allied health input commissioned to support ECEC educators.
3. A student-led speech pathology model, co-invested by Brisbane South PHN and Griffith University, which offers both direct intervention for children and training for families and educators.
For educators, the evaluation found:
increased knowledge and confidence in identifying developmental concerns
positive shifts in day-to-day classroom practices
greater awareness of referral pathways and local services
stronger, more trusting relationships with families.
For families, the TOTs system response led to:
more proactive responses to developmental concerns
increased use of referral services and follow-ups
stronger preparedness for discussions with educators
feeling heard, supported, and connected to resources.
For children, the outcomes are:
earlier identification of their developmental needs
faster referral and access to intervention services
more tailored classroom support from confident educators.
These outcomes mean that children with the greatest need are being identified earlier and are receiving meaningful, targeted support in their everyday learning environments.
Embedding change and planning for the future
Beyond the measurable improvements, one of the strongest indicators of TOTs’ success is its sustainability. In centres where the initiative has been active for several years, educators are now embedding TOTs principles into the culture of their centres by sharing strategies peer-to-peer.
This ripple effect shows how this model can create lasting systemic change, supporting communities long after direct program involvement.
As Australia continues to prioritise early childhood development as a foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing, the TOTs Initiative offers a proven, community-led blueprint for how to get help more children thrive.