CYP Matters
Respect and listening
How some of the most-popular children’s apps are sharing data in ‘troubling’ ways
Parents are being warned that some of Australia’s most popular entertainment apps for children contain risky code that allows companies to gather data on children and build profiles that can follow them for life. More >
New books explore big feelings for young people in care
Understanding ‘big feelings’ and navigating family contact are the themes behind two new books for children and young people in care. My Family Time is Mine and Roar were both written by care leavers to help children and young people understand their feelings and behaviours. More >
Enjoying and achieving
Starting Now – first steps towards a universal early childhood system
Following 2021’s Starting Better report which provided a long-term vision for the best early childhood system for Australia, Starting Now gives leaders a roadmap with concrete achievable steps over the next 12 months. More >
On-Country learning creates learners and leaders
Indi Kindi, a ground-breaking early childhood education program is creating social impact beyond just teaching the next generation on Country. The children in the program learn on Country and are taught by educators from their community, with the program incorporating health, wellbeing, early education, and development. More >
Play Wales: ‘Adults should pay better attention to children’s play needs’
Children and young people can support their own mental and physical health if they have plenty of opportunities to self-organise their play. Play Wales highlights concerns by the UN Committee ‘that children and teenagers are not always being considered in policies and practices that affect the organisation of the built environment’. More >
Securing children’s future – Nordic-style investment needed in early years learning
Planned new funding from the Australian government and NSW and Victorian state governments for early years learning have huge potential. Nordic-style measures to reduce privatised childcare, boost wages, job security and training support for children’s educators and carers, are urgently needed to realise that potential. More >
Participation
Case study: Co-designing opportunities for better youth connection in regional South Australia
To get to the heart of what contributes to youth social isolation, four young people stepped into the role of social researchers and co-designed their way to understanding what loneliness means for young people in regional towns and what can be done about it. More >
In their words: how to support young people in suicidal distress
Emergency department presentations for young people who have self-harmed or are experiencing suicidal ideation are on the increase. This report, based on consultations with 85 young people outlines better alternatives, including safe spaces with youth peer workers or a crisis support team that comes to the young person’s home. More >
Prepared for adult life
The role of food for rehabilitation within youth detention
The power of food and the role it plays in our everyday lives often goes unnoticed; having the choice to plan our meals or preparing food from our cultural or religious backgrounds. For the children and young people within Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre, food-related experiences are very different and are a ‘missed opportunity to promote life skills and the practice of pro-social ways of living’. More >
Health and wellbeing
For children, housing is about even more than a home
Housing is part of the ecosystem that shapes children’s health and future lives, and their relationships with the adults around them. Addressing the toxic effects of housing stress helps children to get a strong foundation for life. More >
Video: The impacts of COVID-19 responses on children
Professor Sharon Bessell, Director of the Children’s Policy Centre, and Anne Hollonds, National Children’s Commissioner discuss the impacts of the pandemic and related policy responses on children; What do we know about children’s experiences of lockdowns? What impact did school lockdowns have on children’s rights? And, where to now in moving towards genuinely child-centred policy? More >
Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022
This Annual Data Compilation Report under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap provides a point-in-time snapshot of progress, including progress towards developing data to measure the targets and indicators. More >
We asked children how they experienced poverty. Here are 6 changes needed now
Research by Sharon Bessell, Professor of Public Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, on children’s experiences of poverty highlights three universal themes; not having the material basics – enough food, a safe and secure home, transport; limited ability to participate in activities and services such as sport, public library time and health care; relationships are deeply affected by the pressures poverty creates. More >
Safe and nurtured
Clearer information for young people navigating the Youth Justice system
The complex documents that are part of the Youth Justice System in South Australia could be daunting for any young person, but particularly for the many young people with communications difficulties. The Department for Human Services is helping them to better understand vital information and their obligations with a selection of new youth friendly documents that use simple language and an image-rich design. More >
More than 80% of people we asked said they’ve experienced violence in junior sport
Participating in community sport can improve children’s mental, physical and social wellbeing, but only if the sport environment is physically and emotionally safe. New research shows 82% of 886 survey respondents said they experienced violence while playing community sport as a child in Australia. More >
Can an EU law save children from harmful content online?
A new EU law to rein in tech giants could serve as a benchmark for worldwide legislation to protect children online, as concern grows globally about the impact of social media on young people. More >