2025 First 2000 Days Symposium

NSW Health will host the next First 2000 Days symposium on Monday, 27 October 2025.

Join us for a special event that brings together voices from maternity, child, and family health. Together, we'll share insights, innovations, and learnings that support families through the critical First 2000 Days of a child's life. A live graphic artist will capture key moments.

This year's theme is "From Pregnancy to Preschool: Supporting families in the First 2000 Days - impact on children's development and family wellbeing."

Agenda

Symposium starts

9:00am - Welcome to Country
Michael West, Local Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council
9:30am - Honourable Ryan Park
Minister for Health and Regional Health
9:45am - Dr Kerry Chant AO PSM
Chief Health Officer and Deputy Secretary Population and Public Health, NSW Health

Session 1: Learnings from inter-agency collaboration and Brighter Beginnings initiatives

10:00am - Sustaining NSW Families Program - consumer story
10:15am - Brighter Beginnings
Natasa Mitic, Executive Director, Department of Education
10:35am - Morning tea break

Session 2: Collaborative approaches to maternal and child wellbeing

11:00am - Pregnancy to the Preschool: Strengthening the Health Sector Responses to Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence
Professor Kathleen Baird RM, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney
11:30am - Nurturing Connections
Angeline Landry, Mid North Coast Local Health District, (online); Danielle Pretty, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District; Lee Meredith, Northern Sydney Local Health District; Dr Sara Cibralic (Ingham Institute)
12:00pm - From Trauma to Trust: Changing Birth Experiences
Alysha Karraz and Madison Spencer, Western NSW Local Health District
12:20pm - Building Clinician Capacity to engage expectant and new mums with online therapies
Keryl de Haan, Murrumbidgee Local Health District
12:40pm - Poster presentations:
- Collaborating for Healthier Beginnings: QIDS MatIQ and Every Week Counts in Local Maternity Services - Natalie Middlemist, Clinical Excellence Commission
- The Alcohol and Other Drugs Care Charter – offering trauma-informed care in maternity settings to improve mother and infant outcomes - Angela Thornhill, Western NSW Local Health District; Daria Erihe, Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, Ministry of Health
12:45pm - Lunch

Session 3: Innovation and service redesign

1:45pm - Digital screening of child development and parental mental health needs in a preschool-based wellbeing hub
Dr Christa Lam-Cassettari, South Western Sydney Local Health District and University of NSW and Scientia Professor Valsamma Eapen, University of NSW
2:05pm - Using the 'F-words' to adopt a holistic and child rights promoting approach in developmental assessment clinics
Dr Sinthu Vivekanandarajah, South Western Sydney Local Health District
2:25pm - Keeping Toddlers in the Picture: A tiered prevention and early intervention program to support parents of toddlers and optimise child mental health outcomes
Associate Professor Jane Kohlhoff, Karitane and University of NSW
2:45pm - Progressing Little Voices: The Virtual Early Talking Group
Courtney Paull, Western NSW Local Health District
3:05pm - Poster presentations:
- Engaging Fathers in a Parenting Service: Tresillian's Parenting Groups for Dads - Alison Wallbank, Tresillian
- Improving Timely Access to Paediatric Physiotherapy in South Western Sydney: The STAT Approach - Natasha Ratnasingham, South Western Sydney Local Health District
3:10pm - Afternoon tea

Session 4: Consumers, communities and co-design

3:30pm - Poster presentations:
- Reaching Out, Reaching In: A Community Co-designed Child & Family Wellbeing Hub - Debrah Davis, Tresillian
- SESLHD –First 2000 Days Aboriginal resources - Lauren Phillips, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
3:35pm - From Voice to Outcomes: Consumer Engagement in the Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods Initiative
Melissa McDonnell and Ty Madden, Sydney Local Health District
3:55pm - First 2000 Days Emerging Evidence for Interventions
Associate Professor Elisabeth Murphy PSM
4:30pm - Closing address
Tish Bruce PSM, Executive Director HSPB, Ministry of Health