The Atlas will support communities to better understand and respond to the mental health needs of children and young people.
In Victoria, Deakin University and the Victorian Government will work in partnership with communities to apply the Atlas alongside Deakin’s Comprehensive Monitoring System (CMS). The CMS is an innovative population monitoring system designed to capture how children and young people are developing socially and emotionally over time, from infancy through to young adulthood (0–21 years).
The CMS responds to a long-standing gap in available data for child and youth mental health. While many datasets provide insight at specific ages or stages, they are often disconnected, making it difficult to understand how experiences in early childhood influence outcomes later in life. The CMS addresses this by mapping each age and stage of development, across eight developmentally interconnected census surveys, separated by 3-year intervals, and delivered through universal services serving each age group - enabling a continuous and comprehensive picture of wellbeing as children grow.
Together, the Atlas and Deakin's CMS provide a complementary evidence base, delivering a complete picture of local need across health, education and social outcomes.
By bringing this information together, community leaders will be able to identify priority areas, uncover service gaps, and focus efforts where they are needed most.
The Atlas will support collaboration between government, services and communities, informing place-based planning such as Local Area Master Plans that align services and resources with community need.
This approach will help communities move from data to action—supporting more targeted, coordinated interventions that improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes over time.
