Overview
Join Professor Rebecca Giallo from the Intergenerational Child and Family Health Group at the Deakin Lifespan Institute, School of Psychology, Deakin University, and Joel Taggart, APS Student Member, member of the Psychology and Psychologists in Early Childhood Intervention (PECI) Interest Group, and Lived Experience Advocate and father of a 5 year old daughter NDIS participant. Combining research and lived experience perspectives, this presentation will explore the role of fathers in early childhood intervention and family-centred care.
Family-centred care has long been recognised as essential to promoting children’s health, wellbeing, and development. Yet, it has not always been clear where fathers fit within this approach or how best to engage them. As a result, some fathers can feel unsure of their role and overlooked when accessing services with their children and families. In this presentation, Rebecca will share what research tells us about fathers’ mental health and wellbeing, family relationships, and experiences engaging with health and social care services in the early years of parenting. Bringing the research to life, Joel will share reflections from his own journey as a father, offering an authentic perspective on navigating parenting, family life and service systems. Together, they will share practical ideas and resources for engaging and supporting fathers in early childhood intervention settings, and for strengthening outcomes for children and families.
This event will run in conjunction with the Psychology and Early Childhood Intervention Interest Group (PECI IG) AGM.
The webinar presentation will run from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm AEDT, with the AGM commencing at 7:30 pm AEDT and expected to run for approximately 30 minutes.
The 2025 AGM minutes and the 2026 AGM agenda will be made available in the PECI IG PsyCommunity Library for members to access prior to the meeting.
Our current committee includes members from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, along with a valued student representative. As we continue to grow and strengthen our national representation, we warmly encourage PECI IG members to consider joining the committee and submitting a nomination.
We are particularly keen to hear from psychologists working in rural and remote communities and from members across a broader range of jurisdictions throughout Australia. Diverse representation is especially important as the Thriving Kids initiative is implemented across the country, with each jurisdiction taking its own approach to delivery and practice.
Please refer to the Position Descriptions and Responsibilities for information about committee roles and eligibility requirements.
About the presenter(s)
Professor Rebecca Giallo leads a productive life course epidemiological and clinical intervention research program focused on optimising the mental health of children and families affected by social adversity and intergenerational trauma. She is particularly passionate about men's health in early fatherhood, and family-based interventions in the early years of children's lives to prevent and disrupt intergenerational cycles of poor health within families. This work has been enabled by partnerships with community health services supporting children and their families. Professor Giallo's research is informed by 10 years' experience as a psychologist working with children and families in educational, hospital and community health settings.
Joel Taggart is currently studying Psychology and has lived experience in the Early Childhood Intervention field. It was this experience with his 5 year old daughter as a NDIS participant that has led him to study Psychology. Joel is a passionate advocate and he is involved in several research projects relating to early childhood development and works as a project manager at a child and adolescent mental health service.
Notes
Registration includes attendance at the event, participation in a Q&A and distribution of PowerPoint slides.
Target Audience
This activity is aimed at all Psychologists, students, researchers and other practitioners working in the Early Childhood Intervention field.
Please note:
- This is a Member Groups event. All communication will be sent to the registrants’ registered email address. This includes event reminders with details (such as the Zoom link) and any pre-event or post-event resources, if provided by the facilitators.
- A post-event email will be sent within two weeks of the event’s completion to each registrant’s registered email address. This email will include the CPD certificate, event-recording, and any additional resources shared during the session.
Duration of Access
This event will be recorded, except the AGM part. The recording will be emailed to all registered within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.
CPD
It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.
The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.
If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.