About

Prosper is a multi award-winning community organisation working to support disadvantaged children and their families – at home, at school and in the community.

Prosper’s work incorporates a suite of evidence-based and innovative approaches to early intervention, primary prevention and community-building and includes: emergency relief, playgroups, parenting programs, creative projects, community development, support groups, education initiatives and more.

Prosper is a National Child Safe Organisation. View our child safety code of conduct here.

Prosper acknowledges and pays our respects to the traditional owners of the lands on which we live and work. Our organisation is committed to learning more and doing more with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Please view our Reconciliation Action Plan.

Our Founding Story

In 2007, a devastating news story from the UK became the unlikely catalyst for Prosper (Project Australia). Karen Craigie OAM, the future Executive Director of the organisation, was expecting her first child when she heard about the tragic case of “Baby P,” a young boy who died after suffering horrific abuse from his parents. The story struck a deep chord with Karen, inspiring her to use her skills to help struggling families and prevent similar tragedies.

Finding a Path into Child Protection

At the time, Karen was working in the music industry and while she loved what she did, she knew she wanted to use her passion for child safety to make a meaningful difference in whatever way she could. She began looking for a volunteering opportunity and undertook further training in children’s services, aiming to support families through a telephone helpline. Instead, based on her skills, she was invited to join the board of a child protection organisation. Although she had no prior board experience, she accepted the invitation, curious to learn and contribute where she could.

Unfortunately, the child protection organisation faced significant challenges and limited capacity. Karen gradually took on practical responsibilities, writing grants, developing programs, and helping strengthen day-to-day operations. Through this work, she gained hands-on experience in how community services function in Australia and formed strong professional relationships.

Supporting Families in Crisis.

During this period, Karen became increasingly focused on families at what she describes as the “pointy end” of the child protection system, families whose children had already been placed in out of home care. This understanding grew not only through her professional work, but through her personal experience as a foster carer, welcoming many children into her home and learning firsthand the challenges families face once children have been placed in out of home care.

One program made the gap especially clear. Karen worked with a parent whose children had been placed into foster care because of homelessness caused by domestic and family violence. While the carer (a relative) of these children received support to upgrade their housing so the children could remain with family, the parent received little to no assistance. Once children were in care, meaningful support for parents working toward reunification was often limited.

Parents were frequently given court-ordered requirements to complete parenting programs, secure stable housing, or demonstrate stability, without the practical or relational support needed to achieve these goals. Karen saw how families could easily become stuck, not for lack of love or effort, but because they were navigating trauma and disadvantage largely on their own.

Alongside this, her work involved supporting families affected by violence and abuse, including working with perpetrators. These experiences deepened her understanding of family systems and reinforced her belief that meaningful change is possible when support is skilled, consistent and grounded in care, even in the most complex circumstances.

Creating Prosper (Project Australia)

Over time, Karen recognised that the child protection organisation she was working in could no longer support the kind of work she believed was needed. She made the decision to step away and create something new.

Prosper (Project Australia) was founded to respond to this gap, to support families whose children had already been placed in care, and to help them address the practical and relational barriers to reunification.

In its early years, Prosper operated with a deliberately lean model. Karen delivered programs herself, building trust with families and shaping the organisation’s approach through direct practice. During the COVID period, Prosper was fortunate to receive increased government funding at a time when many organisations were under pressure. This support allowed Prosper to continue growing and to bring in trusted, experienced staff with shared values and skills.

A Mission That Continues

Eleven years later, Prosper continues to thrive, supporting more than 6000 families each year. As a multi award-winning community organisation, Prosper works with disadvantaged children and their families at home, at school and in the community. Our suite of evidence-based and innovative programs includes parenting programs, online resources, playgroups, creative projects, community development and school-based education initiatives for parents and children.

We also deliver targeted project work such as culturally specific support programs, suicide prevention initiatives, support for sexual violence survivors, LGBTIQA+ domestic and family violence programs, and emergency relief services for families experiencing financial hardship.

Today, Karen Craigie’s founding vision remains at the heart of everything we do at Prosper. It guides our long-standing commitment to children and families who need real, practical support to live with dignity and safety. For her significant contributions, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2023.

We look forward to continuing to expand the life changing work that the Prosper (Project Australia) team delivers, and with further funding and support, we hope to ease the growing burden families face in their daily lives.