This policy scoping review examines the extent to which current policies in Victoria and at the federal level support families to improve child mental health outcomes. The study identifies 25 relevant policies across health, education, social services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bodies. While most policies target mental health competence and difficulties in children aged 0–12, only 12 explicitly support families in this endeavour. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policies were notably more inclusive of family-centred strategies, such as parenting programmes and culturally informed practices.
The review highlights a lack of clarity in defining mental health competence across policies, which hampers effective implementation and evaluation. It also notes that universal policies often acknowledge the importance of families but fall short of providing actionable support. The authors advocate for clearer differentiation between childhood and adolescence, better conceptualisation of competence, and stronger guidance on leveraging family environments. Overall, the findings suggest that while there is a broad policy landscape addressing child mental health, opportunities remain to enhance family engagement and multisectoral coordination to ensure children thrive.
