Respect and listening

What is family?
Defining ‘family’ is not straightforward. While the legislation in various contexts provides definitions of family and relationships and outlines obligations and entitlements, the way individuals experience and understand family in their day‑to‑day lives can be very different. More >

Holding on to Our Future
Final Report of the Inquiry into the application of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle in the removal and placement of Aboriginal children and young people in South Australia. More >

Enjoying and achieving

Growing together: a future universal early childhood education and care system for Australia
While Australia’s ECEC system has many strengths, there are numerous challenges with the current system that prevent Australia from delivering an affordable, low-cost, high-quality universal system. More >

What is ‘risky play’ and what benefits does it have for kids?
Risky play is any thrilling or exciting activity that gives children opportunities to challenge themselves and may involve a risk of physical injury. Research shows how important it is for healthy development in children and teenagers. More >

Teacher training program sees big drop in student anxiety levels
When teachers are struggling, their ability to support students’ emotional needs becomes greatly diminished. In many cases, this can lead to increased anxiety and disengagement among students. More >

Sibling connection takes leaps and bounds in SA
This event welcomed over 18 different sibling groups for a day filled with reunions and shared experiences. Amidst the bounce of trampolines and laughter, it was clear to see the powerful connections among siblings, some of whom may not live under the same roof. More >

Participation

Volunteer primary school students developing social skills while tackling loneliness among the elderly
Pairing children with elderly Australians at organised events is usually targeted at alleviating loneliness for the aged community, but a researcher says young people can also develop key skills to improve their own lives. Students from Norton Summit Primary School have been making monthly visits to the Summit Community Centre in the Adelaide Hills for two-and-a-half years, where they volunteer to serve lunch for the elderly. More >

Young people feel ‘eco-anxiety’ because of the failures of older generations
Young people say they are increasingly bearing the brunt of ‘eco-anxiety’ because of a sense of abandonment from their elders. That’s the message from Australian researchers who have released a report which highlights and confirms the ‘intense feelings of despair’ felt by today’s youth as they contemplate the relentless impact of climate change. More >

Listen to our voices and our stories: Including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in decisions that impact them
To understand the issues that are impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and how to best provide support, it’s important to listen to, and empower their voices. More >

Prepared for adult life

School to work transition for young people with disability in Australia: the Ticket to Work approach
Despite a policy context in Australia that professes to policy goals of increased employment for people with disability and successful school to work transition, young people with disability remain less likely to complete year 12, attend university, or gain work experience and employment than their peers. More >

Health and wellbeing

‘Huge’ proportion of mental health conditions in Australia found to be caused by childhood maltreatment
If child abuse and neglect did not exist, more than 1.8m cases of depression, anxiety and substance use disorders in Australia, almost a quarter of the total number, could be prevented. More >

Good sleep hygiene for teenagers is key to mental wellbeing. Here’s why
About a quarter of Australian 12-15 year olds and half of 16-17 year olds aren’t meeting minimum sleep guidelines on weeknights, leaving them more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. So what is standing in the way of getting to sleep and staying asleep? More >

Prioritising early childhood for a happier, healthier society
Prioritising early childhood for a happier, healthier society: How business can drive, and benefit from, transformative change in the UK, sets out the business case for prioritising early childhood. It identifies five areas where businesses can have the biggest impact. More >

In focus: Understanding children’s mental health
Mental health, like physical health, is something everyone has. Mental health isn’t just about not feeling well or having trouble coping with challenges. When we talk about children’s mental health we mean all the elements of a child’s emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. More >

Supporting the mental health needs of children with language and literacy difficulties
Up to 15% of children experience significant and persistent difficulties with oral and written language, representing approximately four children in a typical Australian classroom. These children are at substantially elevated risk of mental health problems, are overrepresented in our justice systems, and are more likely to develop suicidal thoughts and behaviours than children who do not experience language difficulties. More >

Podcast: Promoting child mental health in primary health care
In any one year, approximately 80% of the Australian population will visit a general practice or primary health care setting. With many visiting more than once, there is ample opportunity for nurses, doctors and administrative staff to develop strong, trusting relationships with children and families. More >

Safe and nurtured

Preventing ‘self-generated’ child sexual abuse
Findings from Internet Matters’ recent UK survey found that 14% of teenagers under the age of 16 have experienced a form of image-based sexual abuse. This research report explores effective methods to prevent the sharing of
‘self-generated’ child sexual abuse material among pre-teens. More >

More than 43,000 kids under 10 seek homeless support a year – what’s being done for them?
The most recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows in 2022-23, about 274,000 people sought help from specialist homelessness services nationally. Of those people, one in six was under the age of 10 (43,200 clients), and a further one in 10 was aged 10-17 (32,800 clients). Many of those young people present with their families, but there is no requirement for services to keep data on those children, or offer them support. More >

When systems collide: Guardian speaks about the lived experience of ‘care criminalisation’
The concept of ‘care criminalisation’ refers to the phenomenon where children in out-of-home care (such as foster care, or residential care facilities) are more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system compared to their peers who are not in such care. More >

‘Nowhere else to go’ Young people’s views on homelessness
This report shares the views of young people about what it is like for children and young people in Tasmania to experience homelessness, and the importance of having a safe, secure place to call home to prevent the risk of offending behaviour. More >

Kids, courts, canines: can justice facility dogs like Winston help children and the broader court system?
The recent focus on youth crime in Australia may create a perception that all children in court have offended. But of course, children are also in courts because they have been victims of and/or witnesses to criminal events. More >

Believe Inquire Respond to Disclosures (BIRD)
Birds are central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, spirituality and connection with Country. The BIRD Project draws inspiration and guidance from the wise, protective and collective behaviours of birds in this Practise Framework for responding to children and adults who may be victim-survivors of child sexual assault. More >

Improving the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children
Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s children, especially those most vulnerable because of their circumstances, continues to be a contentious and elusive area of policy reform. Despite numerous inquiries and reviews, and reports sitting on shelves, there are frequently calls for more Royal Commissions and inquiries. And yet there is much we can learn from previous inquiries in order to drive effective reform. More >