A holistic digital program for preschoolers to strengthen mental health.
Mental health problems are a leading cause of disability worldwide, with one in 7 Australian children aged 4 to 17 experiencing a mental disorder. Early childhood is a critical developmental period for social and emotional skills that are often shaped by the environmental and learning experiences which surround them. Physical and mental health are also inextricably linked, where children’s physical activity and nutrition in the early years influences long-term social, emotional, cognitive, and mental health outcomes.
Challenge
There are few scalable mental health programs for young children that holistically address the key protective factors—social and emotional skills, physical activity and nutrition. Existing programs often fail to involve parents meaningfully and lack effectiveness when scaled.
Solution
BLOOM offers a holistic and scalable digital solution, co-designed with educators and families. It supports childcare centres and parents to embed social and emotional learning, active play and healthy eating into everyday routines. The program includes an educator-focused online portal and a parent app, offering culturally responsive, evidence-based strategies. A cluster randomised control trial involving 20 centres and 400 families will assess its impact on child self-regulation, emotional wellbeing, cost-effectiveness and scalability.
Impact
The BLOOM program is expected to lead to:
Improved self-regulation and mental health in preschool-aged children
Enhanced educator and parent capacity to support children’s development
Increased integration of health-promoting practices in early childhood settings
High-quality evidence on the program’s effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and equity
Readiness for rapid, national-scale implementation through digital delivery.
Further information for participating families
Parents/caregivers who are allocated to the intervention arm of the BLOOM study will have access to the BLOOM x Daily Growth app – a parenting support app which helps parents/caregivers with supporting their child’s emotions.