Children's Policy Centre

How can we end housing insecurity and homelessness, and ensure all children and young people have a place to live? What do child-centred approaches to housing and homelessness look like? Join the Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare next Wednesday 16 April for this important webinar. The brilliant Cadhla O’Sullivan from the Children's Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University will talk about our More for Children research and what children shared about the impacts of housing stress and insecurity on their lives.

“In a message to adults who make decisions, a young girl described the hope that is lost when children don’t have opportunities. A 10-year-old boy described his fears for the future – he worries that he won’t’ have a job, or he will only find a job that is very low paying and insecure. He worries that he will be homeless. He worries that his adult life will be as tough as his childhood,” said Prof. Sharon Bessell in her speech at the recent Catholic Social Services Australia conference in Sydney. “Children also described the ways poverty puts pressure on relationships – because poverty creates stress and tension. Parents also spoke about these pressures. Strong, caring, loving relationships can act as a buffer to protect children – but poverty eats away at those relationships. And we have systems in place that exacerbate that pressure.” Read the full transcript at https://loom.ly/79GCHZ8

Have you registered for our No Child Left Outside webinar yet? Set for Wednesday, 16 April, from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, as part of Youth Week Tasmania and Youth Homelessness Matters Day, the webinar will bring together practitioners and leaders who work with children, young people, and families to discuss youth homelessness in Tasmania, and identify actionable solutions. Sign up now: https://loom.ly/Ap_H5hM #YouthWeekTasmania2025 #YHMD25 #YHMD #YouthHomelessness

I was delighted to speak at the recent National Conference of Catholic Social Services Australia and share our More for Children research. Over the past three years, Children's Policy Centre has been undertaking rights-based, child-centred research on children's experiences of poverty. My amazing colleague Cadhla O’Sullivan and I have heard what it is like for children when families are struggling and doing it tough. And we have learned what needs to change. Thanks to Institute of Community Directors Australia for publishing my talk. I shared our MOR Framework, which is a child-centred approach to understanding, assessing and - most importantly - responding to child poverty. And I shared what children have shared with us. I described the urgent steps that are needed to better support children - but also highlighted the importance of moving beyond patching to positive transformation of systems and structures to ensure no child grows up in poverty. Crawford School of Public Policy https://lnkd.in/gYZ9dnrk

Campaigns for attendance around Australia are reminding students and families that ‘every day counts’. Being at school is vital for supporting students not just with their learning, but also with their wellbeing. Official reports (by the Productivity Commission and AERO) highlight concerns about school attendance. These reports are valuable but they don’t tell the whole story. Our piece for the ‘EduResearch Matters’ blog is based on two large ARC projects. We fill in some of the gaps in official reports by sharing what we heard from school leaders in communities experiencing high poverty and from carers and case workers of student in out-of-home care. Attendance is an equity issue. We need a deeply inclusive approach to support students facing disadvantage to be at school, so they have the same access to the benefits of school as any other student in Australia.  With thanks to colleagues for the piece and the research team and partner organisations on the research! Anna Sullivan Emily Rudling Martin Mills Annemaree Carroll Deborah Lynch Sharon Bessell Daryl Higgins Michael Guerzoni Cadhla O’Sullivan Shelley Stokes Wojtek Tomaszewski Dale Murray Life Without Barriers Tom Brunzell, PhD Berry Street Key Assets (Australia) MacKillop Family Services Stronger Smarter Institute Allambi Care Anglicare Victoria Anglicare NSW South, NSW West & ACT @childcommtas

Children Australia (childrenaustralia.org.au) invites submissions of original articles presenting evidence, research, knowledge and opinion to improve welfare and/or wellbeing outcomes for children, young people and their families. The journal welcomes contributions from the many relevant fields of practice and research across service sectors. All articles are published open access and there are no fees for authors. Contact us at editor@childrenaustralia.org.au Our Editors-in-Chief, Sharon Bessell, Dave Vicary and A/Prof Tim Moore, are supported by a multidisciplinary and highly experienced Editorial Board: Dr Mandy Truong, PhD, Faith Gordon, Jemma Venables, Bruce Smyth, Philip Mendes, Teresa Libesman, Dominique Moritz, Leesa Hooker, Dr Annaley Clarke, Courtney Ryder, India Bryce, John Tobin, Mary Jo Mc Veigh, Sarah Morris, Wendy Hermeston, Michael Gaffney, Heather Morris, Elizabeth Fernandez, Leah Cave, David Giles, Dr Stephan Lund, Alex Masardo, Kate Fylan, Chris Goddard and Sue Foley . #ChildWelfare #ChildSafety #ChildWellbeing #Prevention #ChildrenAndYoungPeople #Families

Thank you so much to ANU Policy Brief, for supporting, sharing and promoting the work we do at The Children's Policy Centre. Such an important platform and the team are a joy to work with!

We want children and young people to tell us their thoughts about making complaints - how easy is it, do they understand the process, what would make it easier for them to speak up? Please share with children and young people in your networks to help us advocate for better services to meet their needs.

Seeking a new career opportunity? The Australian Government is seeking a qualified leader for the full-time statutory role of National Children’s Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission. This role focuses on advocating for children’s rights, leading research and education initiatives, consulting with stakeholders and reviewing policies affecting children. As a key member of the Commission, the Commissioner will contribute to governance and national human rights discussions. Learn more ➡️