Meet the founder

Kristen English is a Child Protection and Behaviour Management Specialist, qualified with a BSc(Psychology) and a BA(Honours). She worked extensively as both a Child Protection Caseworker in rural and urban Australia across generalist and specialist units, and as a Child Psychologist providing treatment and implementing positive behaviour management strategies, over the course of her career. Kristen has developed and trained residential carers, foster carers, and parents in positive behaviour management strategies and in identifying and acting on risks of abuse. 

Upon bringing her own bundle of joy into the world, Kristen realised how little information was available to parents with regard to matters of child protection - valuable information that could go a long way in preventing abuse in childhood, adolescence, and even into adulthood.

Kristen saw the value in the treatment and intervention that was being provided to children and families once the worst had already occurred, but knew there was an important gap in information that needed to be available to families to help prevent attachment issues, communication breakdowns, abuse, mental health issues, and trauma.

Prevention and risk management starts at birth and involves everyone in a child's life, from parents, to extended family, to the broader community. It is a well-known adage that it "takes a village", and Kristen's hope is to help parents create a village for their families that is as safe as possible in order to nurture strong, confident, resilient children and to help keep them safe from harm. 
  • Where should I start?

    It is recommended that you start with our free webinar that outlines our Petals of Protection model.

    This will provide you with a general understanding of a range of factors that can contribute towards safety for your children and within your family unit, and can then help you decide which subsequent services may be appropriate for you.

    It is highly recommended that you utilise the full toolkit as no one factor can be isolated to create safety. Everything works together and that's why we offer the full toolkit at a discounted rate, to make it accessible and affordable.

  • I have a baby/young children. Is this only relevant for older children and teenagers?

    Definitely not.

    The earlier you are able to implement the positive parenting strategies and protective behaviours, and the earlier you arm yourself and your village with knowledge around grooming and abuse, the greater the impact you can have on mitigating the risk to your child. In an ideal world we would all be implementing these communication strategies from birth so it is never too early to start.

  • Do you guarantee that your service will keep my child safe?

    No. No-one can make this promise to you.

    The intention of our services is to arm you with knowledge you need to help increase safety for each stage of your child's life. They say knowledge is power, and what we can offer is a powerful tool in helping you to reduce the risk of harm to your child.

  • What if I suspect that abuse has already happened?

    "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending" - C.S. Lewis.

    In our Know the Signs webinar, We discuss how to approach the situation if you believe abuse has already occurred, and what next steps to take to help minimise the impact of trauma and ensure your family receives the support they need.

    It is critical that this information be combined with the entire content of the toolkit to help increase safety and promote healing.

    In addition to these strategies, it is important that appropriate help is sought immediately. See our Resources page for further guidance.

  • Do you provide individual advice and consultations?

    We provide individual consultation for matters surrounding communication and behavioural difficulties. You can book in for a free initial consultation so we can determine whether our Family Consultation service is right for you. If we feel that our clinical partners may be in a better position to assist you, we will provide you with advice and referrals.

    We do not provide individual advice with regard to matters of child safety and protection. The intention of our Protective Behaviours Toolkit is to provide information only, so parents can take the steps they need to create safety.

    For individual advice on matters of child protection, please contact your child protection authority, law enforcement, or other appropriate support service. Although we absolutely care about the safety of your children and family, we are not in a position to complete a holistic assessment of your situation, or to provide individual advice based on your local and federal legislation. Requests for individual child protection advice, via all channels, will be declined.

  • Is your content confronting and/or distressing?

    Content can be confronting and/or distressing, both for parents who have experienced abuse themselves and for those who have not.

    There is no graphic detail of abuse contained within our resources, however we do speak frankly about the risks to our children so we can confront these concerns head on.

    If you find that the content is not for you, please read through our refund policy below.

    Please be advised you are purchasing and consuming content that is intended for information purposes only. No liability will be accepted for actions or consequences that are attributed to the consumption of the material delivered.

    In case of an emergency, dial 000 (Australia) or your country's emergency line.

    For assistance in Australia, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, your GP, or a mental health professional. For assistance outside of Australia, please contact your local mental health helpline, your doctor, or a mental health professional for assistance.

  • How long will I have access to the materials I have purchased?

    All content comes with lifetime* access through your account, with the exception of premium membership content. You will receive any updates to existing content as they occur, free of charge. These changes may occur due to legislative changes, updated research and recommendations, or for any other reason as determined necessary by The Prepared Parent.

    Premium membership content will be available for the life of your membership only.

    *This refers to the life of the content, so if content is removed from sale for any reason, it will no longer be accessible through your account. Please see terms and conditions for more details.

  • What if I change my mind after purchasing my toolkit?

    We will happily provide a full refund (less any service fees) within 48 hours of the date of the initial purchase, providing the webinars have not been accessed through your account and the ebook has not been downloaded.

    If the ebook has been downloaded but no webinars accessed within the first 48 hours, the toolkit will be refunded minus any service fees, and the cost of the book (AUD9.95 plus service fees).

    If you have accessed one webinar, we will offer a refund, less the cost of a single webinar, as well as any service fees (AUD19.95 plus service fees), within 48 hours of the date of the initial purchase. If the ebook has been downloaded, the cost of the ebook will also be retained (AUD9.95).

    If you have accessed two webinars from your account, we will offer a 50% refund less any service fees within 48 hours of the date of the initial purchase. If the ebook has been downloaded, the cost of the ebook will also be retained (AUD9.95) in addition to the 50% retained for the cost of the toolkit.

    If more than two webinars have been accessed, or the initial 48 hours from purchase has lapsed, the toolkit is non-refundable.

    Once a refund has been issued, all content will become inaccessible from your account.

  • What is included in the Family Consultation service?

    During our weekly sessions, we closely examine any behavioural difficulties and family dynamics, and we work on one aspect at a time to address any issues and improve overall harmony within your household.

    Parental participation is a requirement, and there will be tasks set between coaching sessions that will require repetition and consistency in order to see positive results.

    This service is most effective when all primary caregivers are in attendance and agree to implement the strategies discussed, however we understand that time can be an issue, and we will provide you with a weekly summary of our consultation and actions for your family to work on over the coming week.

  • Are your services relevant for families with neurodiverse children?

    Absolutely. However, it is also important that you seek professional assessment and intervention to help you with the challenges that you can come along with neurodiversity.

    Our free initial consultation for communication and behavioural difficulties can help us determine whether the advice we can provide will be appropriate to the needs of your children and, if not, we can provide you with a referral to one of our trusted clinical partners.