Healthy Horizons Framework
At Remote Australians Matter (RAM), we believe that every child deserves the chance to thrive—no matter how far from the city they live. Since our founding in 2023, we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that remote Australia (MMM 6 & 7) is recognised as distinct from rural contexts, with its own unique challenges and strengths.
This month, we are proud to share the Healthy Horizons Framework, a national strategy designed to guarantee equitable access to developmental screening and early intervention for children in remote and very remote Australia during their first 2000 days.
Why Healthy Horizons Matters
Children in remote communities face systemic barriers to health and wellbeing: fragmented funding, workforce instability, digital exclusion, and jurisdictional complexities. These challenges create a cycle of disadvantage that undermines early childhood outcomes.
The Healthy Horizons Framework is our collective response. Born from the Healthy Horizons Summit in Broken Hill (October 2025), where fifty participants—including health and education professionals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, researchers, and government representatives—came together for deep listening and collaborative design, the Framework is both a policy blueprint and a call to action.
What the Framework Delivers
The Framework is built on five key pillars:
What’s Already Working – Scaling successful, community-led models.
Funding – Creating sustainable, flexible funding streams tailored to remote realities.
Workforce – Building stable, culturally competent teams and pathways for local capacity.
Infrastructure, Resources & Communications – Leveraging technology and data to bridge the last mile of access.
Delivery of Screening – Embedding developmental monitoring within trusted, culturally safe community services.
Together, these pillars provide a roadmap for governments, organisations, and communities to work in partnership toward developmental equity.
A Collective Achievement
The Healthy Horizons Framework is not just another report; it is a community-driven call to action. It reflects the wisdom of those living and working in remote Australia, and it demands accountability, collaboration, and cultural safety at every level of service design and delivery.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, followers, and allies who have supported this journey. Your advocacy ensures that remote children are no longer left behind, and that their futures are shaped by equity, opportunity, and resilience.
Download the Framework HERE
