Children's Policy Centre

Today we are highlighting the release of the latest paper in our More for Children Issues Paper series-Food Insecurity. Throughout The More for Children research we both heard and saw the reality of food insecurities facing children and their families. Children often arrived to the research workshops hungry. We heard from the children we spoke with about how they and their families struggled to afford the food shop, about their worry of the rising cost of groceries and the strategies they adapt to deal with this. We heard about their knowledge of parents skipping meals so that they wouldn’t have to go without. In this wealthy country, children should not have to go without access to high quality, nutritious food. Schools are doing a lot to provide children with meals everyday but what happens when children go home in the evenings, and when they are on school holidays, or when they go to highschool-all of which were worries voiced by children. Food charities also play an essential role in tackling food insecurity, but they too are patching underlying inequalities and injustice. Food insecurity is too common a reality for children in Australia. It is an issue that impacts on every aspect of a child’s life. More can and should be done to ensure that no child in Australia lives the with the daily reality of food insecurity. Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Crawford School of Public Policy ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University Paul Ramsay Foundation OzHarvest ARACY Life Course Centre Australian Institute of Family Studies Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership https://lnkd.in/gCnkMhFg

Please join us tomorrow for another important conversation with Dr Claire Achmad, in this weeks "In Conversation with Children's Commissioners' series. Still time to register here: https://lnkd.in/giD9Gc2c

The cost of housing, living in poor quality housing, constantly moving are all features of the housing crisis that create deep stress and distress. Emergency housing is hard to access, and is often not only precariousness but very poor quality. Homelessness is a reality for too many - and without a home, life falls apart. These are experiences that no-one should have to deal with. But what is it like to face the realities of the housing crisis as a child? Our most recent Children's Policy Centre Issues Paper brings children's experiences and perspectives to the fore. Ensuring children’s grow up in a home that is secure, affordable and fit for purpose requires transformative shifts in the nature of housing in Australia. Housing must be reframed as an essential service, a fundamental human right, and a basic need to which every child is entitled. Such a shift is not possible when housing is primarily a source of investment or wealth generation – whether for property developers or investors. Achieving this transformative shift requires reform to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions to bring about a fairer housing system. Urban, town and regional planning must be child-inclusive, which means children's needs, rights and interests are recognised as a primary focus (among others), and children are identified as key stakeholders in policy processes and outcomes. New housing developments must be designed and built to be safe welcoming places for children, with footpaths to enable children to move around safely and public transport included from design stage. Communal, child-inclusive spaces to bring people together across generations and child inclusive-services must be designed into new communities. Housing must be of a sufficient quality to ensure children are safe from cold, heat, and mould. Emergency housing must be of a sufficient quality to ensure that families are able to rebuild their lives after losing their homes. This requires a shift in attitudes and narratives, whereby the stigma of home loss is removed and people of all ages in need of support are treated with dignity and respect. The aim must be to prevent homelessness through transformative shifts in the housing sector. However, when homelessness occurs, children must be at the centre of responses. Currently, children are too often invisible within responses to both emergency housing and homelessness. Homelessness Australia (HA) has called for a Homelessness Action Plan to end homelessness for Australian children and young people - and this is an important first step. We can - and we must - do better for children and their families. Cadhla O’Sullivan Catherine Robinson John Bush ARACY Alexandra C King Meg Tait Burnie Works Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare Toni Wren Valuing Children Initiative https://lnkd.in/gKB7ZPaT

Join us next Wednesday 6th November at 1pm as we welcome Dr Claire Achmad, Chief Children's Commissioner for New Zealand, to our "Conversation's with Children's Commissioners" series. Register here: https://lnkd.in/giD9Gc2c Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Crawford School of Public Policy ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University

Unfortunately, we are re-scheduling this webinar with Anne Hollonds. It will now take place on the 4th December 2024 at 1pm. We apologise for any inconvenience or disappointment caused and we hope that you will all be able to join us on the 4th December instead. Head to our website to re-register and to register for all of the other amazing Commissioners we will be welcoming over the coming weeks. https://lnkd.in/gSpqwqA4 Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Dr Adele Chynoweth FHEA OAM Crawford School of Public Policy ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University

Join us on this weeks 'In Conversation with Children's Commissioners' as we welcome the National Children's Commissioner for Australia Anne Hollonds to the series. Head to our website to register and to find out more about our lineup for 2024: https://lnkd.in/gAx-EKXv Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Crawford School of Public Policy ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University

🏡 Housing policy that better considers children’s rights could help address child poverty in Australia, according to new research from the Children's Policy Centre. Children need more than a house—they need a home, says the ‘More for Children’ issues paper, published for #NationalChildrensWeek this week. This means somewhere comfortable and secure enough that children can actually relax; a place to sleep, play, learn, bathe, and socialise. 🔎 Read more on ANU Policy Brief: https://lnkd.in/g-iYZRzU 🔗 Download the paper: https://lnkd.in/gEm_SB78 #Children #ChildrensPolicy #PublicPolicy #SocialPolicy #HousingPolicy #Housing #ChildPoverty #Australia The Australian National University ANU College of Asia & the Pacific Paul Ramsay Foundation

This week (19th-27th October) marks #NationalChildren’sWeek2024, a week designed to celebrate the right of children to enjoy childhood. But for the 761,000 children growing up in poverty in Australia their right to a childhood is compromised as their basic needs are not met, their opportunities for connection, participation, play, learning and relaxation are compromised, and the relationships they value most are placed under pressure. At the Children’s Policy Centre, we designed a booklet for children, their families and their communities, based on our More for Children research. The booklet highlights what children have told us they need for a good life, but also what things are like when life is tough. In this wealthy country, we can and must do better for children and their families to ensure that they have what they need to live a good life. Follow the link to our website to view the interactive version of our booklet: https://lnkd.in/gGu5zcWz Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Crawford School of Public Policy ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University Paul Ramsay Foundation Valuing Children Initiative Anne Hollonds

Housing is a topic gaining significant media attention this week and last week during #AntiPovertyWeek2024. Australia is struggling with the cost of housing, the availability of housing and the quality of housing. At the Children’s Policy Centre, through our More for Children research, we heard from children about their experiences of housing insecurity. Housing is a basic right of children, and one that is too often violated. But housing or shelter alone is not enough. Importantly, in our research with children, they distinguished between a house and a home. They spoke about home as a place where you feel loved, safe, secure, and where you ‘belong’. Unfortunately, for too many children in Australia, having either a stable house or a home is not a reality they experience. Homelessness Australia found that in 2022/2023 76,014 children sought help from homelessness services. When housing is insecure, unaffordable or simply not available, children’s material needs are not being met, their opportunities are narrowed and their relationships in the family and in the wider community are compromised. Ensuring children grow up in a home that is secure, affordable and fit for purpose requires transformative shifts in the nature of housing in Australia. We can do better in this wealthy nation to ensure that children and their families live in a home that allows them to thrive. Read our Issues paper on Housing below for more information: https://lnkd.in/gEm_SB78 Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Crawford School of Public Policy ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University Paul Ramsay Foundation Launch Housing Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership ARACY Brotherhood of St Laurence Australian Institute of Family Studies Uniting Familycare Consumer Pvt. Ltd. Homelessness Australia Burnie Works Shelter Anne Hollonds

Thank you to Crawford School of Public Policy for sharing our work this #AntiPovertyWeek2024. 1 in 6 children living in income poverty in this wealthy country is simply not acceptable. We need to move toward action and our More for Children research provides a knowledge base for change, that is centred on the views, experiences, ideas and priorities of children. Sharon Bessell Cadhla O’Sullivan Anti-Poverty Week Paul Ramsay Foundation ANU College of Asia & the Pacific The Australian National University Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare