“Too many children are being left behind because children’s rights and wellbeing are not a national priority”
Anne Hollonds
National Children’s Commissioner.
THE PROBLEM
Australia is not the ‘child-friendly’ place many of us like to think it is. For example, Australia ranks a low 32 out of 38 OECD countries on child wellbeing. One in six children are still living in poverty and we trail other rich countries on education standards.
The support systems that should be helping children and their families are overwhelmed by the level of need.
The government must change the way they create policies for children. Because no matter who they are or where they live, every child deserves to thrive.
Our Plan
Governments must be held accountable for evidence-based action on child rights and wellbeing. Right now, too many decisions ignore both the evidence and Australia’s human rights obligations, leaving children without the support they need.
That’s why advocates and organisations across sectors are uniting under this campaign to demand that child safety and wellbeing become a national priority.
To achieve this, we call for:
What’s stopping Australia?
In Australia, the systems that are meant to help children and their families in vulnerable circumstances, such as health, education, housing, and child protection, are out-of-date, fragmented and overwhelmed by the level of need.
This is despite two-thirds of Australians being victims of child maltreatment, including domestic, family and sexual violence. Currently for child wellbeing we don’t have the basic accountability mechanisms that exist for other policy issues.
There is no Minister for Children and no budget reports on child wellbeing. Unlike other critical issues of national significance, ‘child safety and wellbeing’ is not a priority for National Cabinet. This seriously limits accountability and pathways for evidence-based reform.
We might be behind the rest of the world now, but we have a plan the government must get behind.
Can you help?
No matter who is in government, we have the power to make them act for children. By uniting our voices, we can hold leaders accountable and demand real action.
Join our non-partisan alliance—a powerful coalition of child health, wellbeing, human rights, legal, education, and advocacy groups—working together to put children at the heart of national decision-making.
See which organisations are already involved and join us today!
Join Us
Meet our Alliance
The Act for Children campaign acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their enduring connection to the lands, waters, and skies. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In solidarity, AFC supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the need for truth-telling about the history and impact of colonisation. We treasure the rich and diverse cultures and customs of First Nations people – valued knowledge holders, leaders and partners in creating the conditions for all our children to thrive.