What does genuine co-design look like when the goal is to reach Australia’s diverse communities?
In 2024-26, Raising Children Network commissioned Plumtree to lead two significant co-design projects to improve the accessibility and relevance of parenting information for culturally and linguistically diverse families.
The first project brought together bicultural leaders, community organisations and parents from Palestinian, Kurdish and Hindi-Urdu speaking communities to develop the Voices of Inclusive Co-design Framework—a practical framework for engaging culturally diverse communities in genuine co-design. The framework demonstrates how trusted relationships, community leadership and shared decision-making can create resources that genuinely reflect families’ experiences, priorities and ways of accessing information.
The second project put that framework into practice. Working alongside community partners, family connectors and parents, we co-designed improvements to Raising Children Network resources, ensuring they were more culturally relevant, practical and accessible. Families influenced not only the content, but also the language, design, examples, navigation and the ways information is shared within communities. The project reinforced that trusted relationships and community networks are just as important as the information itself.
We congratulate Raising Children Network for demonstrating genuine leadership by investing in co-design rather than assuming what families need. Their commitment to partnering with communities has created a stronger foundation for ensuring parenting information is accessible, relevant and respectful for families across Australia.
These projects were only possible through the expertise and generosity of our community partners. We sincerely thank Ethnic Community Services Cooperative (ECSC), Metro Assist, Settlement Services International (SSI), Rahma Health, Playgroups NSW, our bicultural leaders, peer workers, peer leaders and facilitators, community connectors and, most importantly, the parents who generously shared their experiences and insights throughout the co-design process.
At Plumtree, we see co-design as more than consultation, it’s a way of working that builds trust, strengthens relationships and leads to better outcomes. Whether developing policy, designing services or creating resources, genuine partnerships with communities result in solutions that are more effective, more inclusive and more likely to make a lasting difference.
✍️ Written by Sylvana, Plumtree CEO
Want to learn more?
Learn more about the organisations that contributed to this project:
- Raising Children Network
Australia’s trusted source of evidence-based parenting information, providing free resources to support families from pregnancy through to adolescence. - ECSC (Ethnic Community Services Cooperative)
A multicultural community organisation that supports culturally and linguistically diverse communities through settlement, community development and capacity-building programs. - Metro Assist
A community organisation supporting individuals, families and communities through settlement, housing, family, youth and community services across Sydney. - Settlement Services International – SSI
A national not-for-profit organisation helping people and communities thrive through settlement, employment, disability, community and social support services. - Home – Rahma Health
A community-led organisation working to improve health literacy, wellbeing and access to healthcare for culturally diverse communities. - Playgroup NSW
A not-for-profit organisation connecting families through playgroups, supporting children’s learning, development and community connections through play.