Early Parenting Fundamentals (Unit 1)

Deepen your confidence and ability to work with young children and their families with this new short course covering relevant theory, evidence, frameworks and legislation. We've partnered with Victoria's leading Early Parenting Centre, Queen Elizabeth Centre, to deliver this course aimed at a wide range of government, education system, health, and social care professionals whose work regularly focuses on children under 4 years old and their parents/carers.

REGISTER HERE

SEMESTER MODEL

28 JULY – 3 NOVEMBER 2026

Course delivery:
Synchronous online tutorials, weekly on Tuesday mornings

OR

INTENSIVE MODEL

23 – 27 NOVEMBER 2026

Course delivery:
Intensive online tutorials occurring over one week (5 days)

Bespoke intensive model course dates can be arranged for organisations enrolling groups of 10 or more. Please email us for more information.

Course fees

With assessment:
$3,500 (GST-free)

Without assessment:
$2,750 (incl. GST)

Program contact

shortcourses.depm@monash.edu

Phone: +61 3 9903 0289

Terms and Conditions

Course registration closes one week prior to the course commencement date.

Students will develop an understanding of the context, purpose and impact of working in early parenting roles. You'll explore conceptual ways of working with families engaged in early parenting programs, focusing on partnerships, strength-based, child-centred and parent-led approaches.

Teaching activities include lectures, workshops and peer-to-peer discussions. There is also self-directed learning and reflection, enabling students to connect current and/or past work experiences to the field of early parenting.

This course can be taken with or without an assessment component.

Learn about Early Parenting Practice (Unit 2), our practice-based counterpart to this course, whcih gives you access to simulations and real-world learning opportunities to help embed your knowledge.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Critically analyse and synthesise the historical, legislative, practice and theoretical factors that influence early parenting experiences for parents/carers with children under 4 years of age.
  • Understand the importance of building parenting confidence and capacity, and apply theoretical approaches that foster this in early parenting.
  • Analyse approaches adopted in early parenting that empower the parenting role and optimise child outcomes.
  • Consider early parenting through a culturally diverse and inclusive lens, to create safe and welcoming places to learn, grow and parent.
  • Analyse and synthesise the evidence that informs child safety, with a focus on child abuse and harm, applying this knowledge in promoting child safety in early parenting and responding to child safety concerns when identified.
  • Understand the importance of social connectedness. Recognising the roles that parents, families, community and agencies all play in fostering connection and reducing social isolation.

Course outline

Topic 1: Parents and parenting and the early years: who are they, what is it, why is it important and what past, present and emerging factors impact parenting today (3 hours)

Topic 2: Early parenting theories, concepts and approaches: understanding ways of working with families today (3 hours)

Topic 3: Building parenting confidence and capacity in early parenting (1.5 hours)

Topic 4: Parent-led early parenting: consumer voice and engagement (1.5 hours)

Topic 5: Health promotion in early parenting: parents and children as health promoters (3 hours)

Topic 6: Fostering optimal child outcomes: outcome-informed early parenting (3 hours)

Topic 7: Ensuring high-quality and safe early parenting (1 hour)

Topic 8: Keeping children safe and identifying risk (2 hours)

Topic 9: Early parenting and children’s first relationships: shaping child brain architecture (3 hours)

Topic 10: Inclusive early parenting practice: embracing diversity, culture and equity (3 hours)

Topic 11: Trauma-informed early parenting practice (3 hours)

Topic 12: Enhancing early parenting experiences through social connection (2 hours)

Who should attend?

This course is relevant to a wide range of professionals, including but not limited to EPC employees, maternal child health nurses, early childhood educators, midwives and paediatric nurses, paediatricians, kindergarten teachers, Department of Education, local government (family and children's services, playgroups, libraries, kindergartens, child protection etc.), family services, mental health workers, students already doing a TAFE/University Course in a related field i.e. not already working in the field.

Accelerate your qualification

Eligible participants who complete the micro-credential (short course with assessment) can receive 6 credit points of unspecified credit* towards the future Graduate Certificate of Early Parenting.

*Maximum credit limits and minimum course entry requirements apply, see the terms and conditions page for more details

For more details please contact shortcourses.depm@monash.edu

Course partner

This course is a partnership between Monash University and Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC).

Course facilitators

While the information contained herein was correct at the date of publication, Monash University reserves the right to alter procedures, fees and regulations should the need arise.