Our Projects and Partners

Current Programs

HeartKids partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities to co-develop resources, strengthen connection to care, and support better health outcomes. Guided by local knowledge and community priorities, these collaborations focus on providing trusted information, practical support, and opportunities for families impacted by childhood-onset heart disease to connect and be heard.

Our partnership approach
Phase 1: Listening to community voices

HeartKids partners with Elders, community leaders, and families to understand lived experiences and identify the information and support needed most. This local knowledge shapes the direction of each project.

Phase 2: Creating the right resources

Together with communities, HeartKids develops resources that are culturally appropriate, practical, and accessible. These may include videos, booklets, animations, workshops, or digital tools designed to reach children, young people, parents, carers, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ community members.

Phase 3: Learning and improving together

Feedback and evaluation guide how resources and programs evolve. HeartKids shares outcomes, learns from what works, and continues to adapt resources and supports to improve health and wellbeing for families now and into the future.

Children’s Ground

HeartKids and Children’s Ground are working together to help prevent and manage acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart (RHD) disease in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We do this by co-creating resources that are culturally safe, user friendly, and accessible for children, teens, families and communities.

Palm Island Community Company

Palm Island Community Company (PICC) is run by and for the people of Palm Island. As a not-for-profit organisation, PICC is dedicated to delivering important services, creating local jobs, and building a strong, healthy community. PICC works closely with local partners to create programs that support the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of everyone on Palm Island. HeartKids and PICC partner to design, develop, and implement a suite of culturally safe and responsive resources that support education, prevention, and management of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease on Palm Island.

Northern Rivers RHD Community Project

HeartKids and Grafton Base Hospital’s Aboriginal Community Health Promotion Team collaborate to raise awareness and provide accessible resource information about acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Northern Rivers Aboriginal communities. This work respects local knowledge and aims for long-term health improvements.

Two smiling individuals sit side by side at a table, wearing shirts that represent Aboriginal pride and health initiatives. One wears a blue shirt with circular patterns and logos including “NSW,” “Deadly Choices,” and the NRL. The other wears a black top featuring the Aboriginal flag.

Heart Foundation Partnership

The Heart Foundation and HeartKids have joined forces in a partnership which will accelerate their work towards their vision for all Australians impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) to live happy, healthier and more productive lives.

HeartKids is supporting the Heart Foundations First Nations Team with their Champions4Change program, which is all about supporting First Nations people living with ARF and RHD to:

Three smiling volunteers in red vests stand on a beach holding signs that say “Thanks for being a heart hero” and “Thank you for hiking for healthy hearts.”

Support others in their communities
Advocate for RHD education, awareness, and
Help shape culturally relevant resources and programs using their lived experience
Grow their leadership skills and share their cultural knowledge
Connect with others with shared experiences

The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Engagement Manager provides RHD resources and relevant information to support these programs.

Bridging the Heart Gap

HeartKids is a key stakeholder in the Bridging the Heart Gap project, which addresses the high number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who require cardiac surgery due to rheumatic heart disease and other conditions. These surgeries are only available in major cities such as Brisbane and Perth, meaning families must travel far from home. Bridging the Heart Gap is redesigning how care is provided — strengthening trust, building partnerships, and supporting local capacity. The project is being implemented in Queensland and Western Australia, with the goal of creating a roadmap for other states.

For more information on our programs and partnerships

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