Respect and listening
Understanding cultural safety for Aboriginal children and young people
This guide provides advice on understanding the importance of cultural safety for Aboriginal children and young people by establishing a culturally safe environment, including welcoming Aboriginal children, young people and their families and supporting them to express their culture and enjoy their rights. More >
Enjoying and achieving
Mapping the deserts: Childcare accessibility in Australia
Using the most recent data, Australia’s ECEC system is explored to understand accessibility, what has changed, and what the locations of early childhood providers can tell us about how families experience ECEC. More >
New study to boost energetic play for Aussie kids
In the largest global trial of its kind, researchers aim to boost children’s active play by developing policy guidelines for physical activity in early childhood care. More >
Amid a rise in the number of Australian homeschool students, these families explain why it’s working for them
The number of Australian students being home-schooled has been steadily rising over the past six years. Some parents made the switch to homeschooling after encountering difficulties with bullying in mainstream classrooms. More >
Why students thrive when music becomes part of school life
A growing body of research shows that singing and playing music can be effective ways of boosting young people’s learning outcomes, as children who are constantly exposed to music are found to exhibit longer attention spans, emotional stability, resilience, and cognitive capacity. More >
Books in, screens out: some Finnish pupils go back to paper after tech push
This autumn, pupils in the Finnish town of Riihimaki headed back to school with backpacks full of books after a decade of state-backed promotion of laptops and other digital devices in the classroom. More >
Empowering Young Minds: A review of Australian children and young people’s learning
This paper explores the learning domain of the Australian Children’s Wellbeing Index to measure and track what’s important for children and young people, incorporating their voices and analysis of emerging issues. More >
Participation
Culturally diverse teens greatly benefit from social media – banning it would cause harm
The current push to introduce laws banning young people under 16 from accessing social media platforms denies culturally diverse young people agency and ignores their capabilities and skilful navigation of social media. More >
Digital childhoods in Australia: A landscape report
With international and domestic discussions on banning children and young people from social media, this report, which includes the views of children and young people, is a timely contribution that aims to inform stakeholders working with and for children in Australia. More >
Report of the legal examination into banning children’s access to social media
This report examines whether South Australia could legislate a ban on access to social media by children under 14, and restrict access to social media for young people aged 14 – 16 by requiring parental consent. More >
Fairness by design: Towards a child-rights approach to digital fairness
This article looks at the concept of ‘fairness’ in relation to children in the digital environment, explaining how crucial it is and how the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code offers an example of good practice of promoting fairness beyond just preventing unfairness. More >
Useless, beneficial, a social-life killer: teens weigh in on Australia’s plan for child age limits on social media
While Anthony Albanese has argued the policy is something parents have called for, and experts in mental health and other industries warn it could force kids into less safe situations, the teens who are affected have largely been absent from discussions. More >
Prepared for adult life
Counting the cost of living – The impact of financial stress on young people
Addressing cost of living concerns and financial stresses faced by young people requires comprehensive and targeted interventions. This report highlights the critical need for policy reforms focused on financial literacy, employment opportunities, and mental health support tailored to the unique needs of young people. More >
Realities of young parenthood, and the program that helps
Becoming a parent before you’ve even finished your schooling presents a whole raft of challenges, but Talking Realities is offering much-needed support. More >
Health and wellbeing
How schools can empower kids to talk about their mental health
A successful mental health program for primary schools is helping young people to understand and act thoughtfully on their emotions and feelings. More >
Why language matters: rethinking the language of suicide
It’s crucial that professionals are alert to the different ways in which children and young people might express suicidal thoughts or feelings. Part of this is being aware of how language can make it easier, or harder, for children and young people to share how they’re feeling, and access support. More >
Health service use among young people hospitalised due to family and domestic violence
Understanding how children and young people who had at least one family and domestic violence hospital stay interact with the health care system provides evidence for potential intervention and screening points. On average, one child has an FDV-related hospital stay and around one-third (33%) are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. More >
Understanding the wellbeing needs of First Nations children in out-of-home care in Australia
This is a comprehensive review on the wellbeing needs of First Nations Australian children in out-of-home care (OOHC) and the aspects of care that support them. More >
Safe and nurtured
Unlocking the prevention potential: accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence
This report provides specific and practical advice to strengthen evidence-based prevention approaches, and builds on work currently underway in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. More >
Supporting children and families to flourish
Child protection and out-of-home care system mindsets and practices are geared toward containing risk for the sector, meaning that time and energy are not focused where they should be; on creating trust and supporting families to flourish by focussing on the holistic wellbeing of children. More >
Beyond raising the age of criminal responsibility, African youth need more culturally aware support
A culturally responsive, sport-based, youth development program assisted African-Australian young people (aged 8-14) and their families to connect with services that support physical and mental health and wellbeing. In the process, they deter young people from youth crime. More >
Rights in detention
Guardian for Children and Young People, Shona Reid, talks about upholding children’s rights, and what that looks like in youth detention settings. More >
Early years Talk PANTS updated resources
The UK Talk PANTS programme for schools has been developed out of robust research which highlights just how essential this learning can be in safeguarding children from sexual abuse. All children who have experienced abuse face considerable barriers to disclosure, and one significant reason is that they may be unaware that they are being exposed to something that is wrong and cannot understand and verbalise their experiences. More >
Senate announces national inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system
Guardian for Children and Young People, Shona Reid, talks about what could be an important opportunity to elevate the voices of young people in detention, and to advocate for their rights and best interests. More >
If the age to access social media can be raised to 14, what about the age of criminal responsibility?
A 10-year-old will not be able to like a photo of their favourite sporting hero on Instagram, but they can still be sent to a detention centre, if legislation proposed by the federal government passes. More >