Yasmin Harman-Smith
Head, Early Years Systems Evidence
BA, BHlthSc(Hons), MTeach(Primary), PhD
yasmin.harman-smith@thekids.org.au
Associate Professor Yasmin Harman‑Smith is Head of Early Years Systems Evidence at The Kids Research Institute Australia, where she leads a multidisciplinary team working in partnership with governments and service providers to strengthen systems supporting children and families. Her work focuses on designing and applying rigorous evaluation and research methodologies that generate actionable insights and centre the voices and experiences of children, families, and communities.
With a PhD in Psychology and a Masters of Primary Teaching, Yasmin brings a strong interdisciplinary perspective spanning child development, education, and service systems. She has extensive experience working across early years domains, including health, early childhood education and care, schooling, child protection, mental health, and family support services. Her work spans both universal and targeted services, with a focus on understanding what works, for whom, and in what contexts.
Yasmin has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner to government, leading and contributing to a substantial portfolio of commissioned evaluation, research, and policy translation projects across Australia. This includes long-standing involvement in national initiatives such as the Australian Early Development Census, as well as leading evaluations of programs designed to improve outcomes for children and families experiencing adversity.
A key strength of Yasmin’s work is translating complex and mixed‑method evidence into clear, practical insights that can inform policy, guide service delivery, and support system improvement. She is particularly committed to approaches that elevate community voice, including engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and diverse communities in the design and evaluation of services. Through her leadership, Yasmin contributes to advancing evidence‑informed decision making and building more responsive, effective early years systems that improve outcomes for children and families.
Projects
Evaluation of the Child and Parent Centre Program in Western Australia 2015-2021
This evaluation examines a range of indicators concerning student and community outcomes over a seven-year operational period from 2015 to 2021, as well as the satisfaction of parents and carers.
An Overview of Early Childhood Health and Education Service Provision in Australia
The impact of children’s experiences through their first 2,000 days of life – from conception to the start of full-time schooling – are widely acknowledged.
Review of Universal Access Funded Aboriginal Children with Hearing Impairment Support Program
In 2021 the South Australian Department for Education commissioned The Kids Research Institute Australia to undertake a review of the Hearing Impairment Support Program (HISP).
Evaluation of the Positive Parenting Program
In 2016, the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP) and The Kids Research Institute Australia (The Kids) were engaged to evaluate the implementation and impact of Triple P in South Australia.
Analysis of gender differences between boys and girls in South Australia
The Department for Education commissioned this report to understand how such gender differences in early childhood may influence outcomes later in life.
Participation in the Wellbeing and Engagement collection in South Australian schools
In South Australian schools, students in Grade 4 to 12 are invited to participate in an annual survey about their wellbeing and engagement in school, referred to as the Wellbeing and Engagement Collection.
National School Readiness Project
Researchers at the Institute were engaged to undertake the National School Readiness Project, which aimed to describe current practice across education authorities in assessing or describing child development status at school entry and use evidence to identify areas where the scope/quality of curren
Learning Together and Learning Together at Home: Program Model Review
Learning Together, developed by the South Australian Department for Education, aims to create enriched learning environments that can be transferred to the home to support positive changes for children and families.
Early Years Strategic Priority – Scoping and Mapping of the South Australian Early Years System
Evaluation of Trauma-Informed Practices in Education
Development of Resources for Schools – Responding to and Planning for Children with Complex and Challenging Behaviours
Evaluation of the Strong Start Pilot Program
Evaluation of the Learning+ Pilot Program
Evaluation of the Child and Family Assessment and Referral Network (CFARN)
Evaluation of Children's Centres in South Australia
Review of Inclusive Preschool Program
Evaluation of the Community Playgroup Program
This evaluation explored the facilitators & barriers that influence Community Playgroup attendance, and the impact of attending playgroups on child development.
Provision of Engagement Services for the AEDC
Support services to the Department of Education and Training and the AEDC State and Territory Coordinators and their support staff across Australia.
Published research
Inequalities in child development at school entry: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of the Australian Early Development Census 2009-2018
Australia is the only developed country to consistently undertake a developmental census of its children nationwide. The repeated collection of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) has provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the prevalence of developmental vulnerability across Australia's states and territories, the socio-economic distribution of developmental vulnerability across jurisdictions, and how these distributions might have changed over time.
Exploring Associations Between Playgroup Attendance and Early Childhood Development at School Entry in Australia: A Cross-Sectional Population-Level Study
Children who attended playgroup had better development at school entry relative to those who had not attended playgroup
A population health approach in education to support children's early development: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis
The results from this review indicate that it would indeed be plausible to adapt the population health approach to sites and schools
A review of Let’s Read in the context of the South Australian Service Setting
Independent review of the Let’s Read literacy support program in South Australia and how it fits within the mix of services in South Australia that support the development of children’s emergent literacy
Community Development Coordinator Role Consultation: Consultation Report
This report will outline the theory and evidence base for Community Development and Community Engagement, report on consultation activities and findings
It takes a village to raise a child: The influence and impact of playgroups across Australia
Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of Community Playgroups across Australia
Exploring local government areas with significant shifts in child development between 2009 and 2012 on the Australian Early Development Census
This project analysed AEDC results across Australia, to identify communities with significant improvement (decreases in developmental vulnerability) between 2009 and 2012
Education and Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts – University of Adelaide (2004)
- Bachelor of Health Science (Honours, First Class) – University of Adelaide (2005)
- Doctor of Philosophy – University of Adelaide (2009)
- Master of Teaching (Primary) – Tabor College (2024)
Active Collaborations
- Department for Education, South Australia
- University of Adelaide
- Australian Government Department for Education, Skills and Employment