Uniting Communities is proud to be a campaign partner in the Every Child campaign, a national movement launching on Tuesday 27 August.
Every child and young person in Australia can and should thrive. But this is only possible when Australian families get the support they need to navigate tough times. The Every Child campaign is calling for long-term social and systems change to deliver better outcomes for children and families, ensuring they get the right support at the right time.
We know that for healthy development, children need life to stay steady: strong support, stable relationships, and a safe place to call home. But when support for families isn’t available early, problems get worse and our children and young people pay the highest price. Experiencing hardship and toxic stress in childhood causes lifelong harm to children, young people, their loved ones, and our society. We can and must do better to get this right for Australia’s children.
To create an Australia where every child can thrive and where families in cities and regions gain the support, services and skills they need, when they need it, Every Child calls on governments to think big. This campaign will be advocating for the most significant and valuable nation-building project ever undertaken in Australia for children and young people – the Every Child National Wellbeing Commitment aims to:
establish a National Child Development Fund and a mechanism – such as a National Council for Children, Young People and Families – that reports on national child wellbeing indicators; facilitates innovation in service delivery to focus on prevention and early support; service and workforce reform, and expansion of the evidence base for action. This Council is to comprise government and non-government, as well as young people from diverse backgrounds.
adopt national wellbeing indicators and targets for child health, education, justice and wellbeing.
establish an effective mechanism, within the National Council for Children, Young People and Families to support the active participation of young people in advancing their wellbeing.
recognise the leadership of, and strategies advocated by, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve improved wellbeing for their children, young people and families.
At Uniting Communities, we understand how vital it is to provide a strong support network for families. Australia’s children and young people need us to get this right.
You can join the Every Child campaign by visiting https://www.everychild.co/
