Turning waiting time to action: co-designing solutions to support families waiting for appointments in an Australian metropolitan child development service

Long wait times for child development services are a widespread issue internationally, hindering timely access to early support. This study reports on a co-design project at a public child development service for children aged 0–16 years in a major Australian city. The study aimed to 1) understand parents’/carers’ and staff perspectives on waiting for an initial child development appointment, and 2) co-design and implement strategies to better support families during this waiting period. Guided by a co-design research approach, a convergent mixed methods, multi-phased design was used. In Phase 1, online surveys captured parents’/carers’ experiences of being on the waiting list (n = 450), and parent/carer and staff perspectives (n = 43) on how families could be better supported. Key strategies for supporting families were identified. In Phase 2, a prioritisation survey (n = 54) and focus groups/interviews (n = 5) were used to develop and prioritise strategies with parents/carers. Strategies were reviewed for feasibility and actions aligned with the strategies were implemented within the service in Phase 3. In Phase 1, participants identified opportunities for families to take steps while waiting for a child development appointment, and reported factors that made this easier or more challenging. Strategies identified from open-ended responses were taken into Phase 2. Phase 2 yielded six prioritised strategies: (1) Provide a summary and action plan for families after phone call, (2) Check in regularly with families while they wait and provide ongoing recommendations, (3) Help families understand ‘the system’, (4) Provide resources and strategies to help families support their child’s development at home, (5) Help families prepare for their first appointment, (6) Support parent mental health and understanding of how they can advocate for their child. Examples of actions implemented in Phase 3 included development of an animated service information video, and updated documentation for families following their intake call. Combining the lived experience of parents/carers with the expertise of multidisciplinary staff, service leadership, and researchers in a co-design project led to feasible solutions being implemented to better support families while they wait for an initial child development appointment.