A tragic start to National Child Protection Week

As the launch of National Child Protection Week throws the spotlight on creating better futures where children and young people flourish, the National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds is speaking up for the thousands of children whose futures are bleak because Australian governments do not prioritise their human rights to safety, care and protection. 

Commissioner Hollonds said: “It was a privilege to speak at the launch of National Child Protection Week today, but I did so with a very heavy heart. A second child has died in youth detention in less than a year. 

“This devastating death of a child in the care of the state reminds us of all the other children who are also suffering every day, because of the failure of Australian governments to honour our promise to protect the human rights of our children. Australia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 but has failed to embed its principles into domestic laws. 

“Thousands of children each year are failed by inadequate support from health, education and social service systems, resulting in the child protection and child justice systems being chronically overwhelmed. The basic needs of Australia’s most vulnerable children – such as housing, enough food to eat, education and health care - are not being met.   

“In a rich and developed country these are preventable problems of our own making.  These children are falling through the gaps created by our neglect and governments’ lack of action based on decades of evidence. 

“Less than two weeks ago I tabled in Parliament a report called Help Way Earlier! How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing.  

“This report outlines a reform strategy – guided by evidence – to address the needs of vulnerable children and their families and help to prevent offending by children and keep the community safer. A key recommendation is that governments work together across the federation.   

“Currently ‘children and child wellbeing’ is not a priority for National Cabinet, unlike other important issues including ‘women and women’s safety’. Given the ongoing crises in child protection and child justice systems everywhere in Australia, we should be asking our leaders ‘why?’ Children should not pay the price of ‘federation failure’. 

“National Cabinet will be meeting on Friday 6 September in Child Protection Week. It is my urgent plea to the Prime Minister and leaders of all governments across our federation to look closely at the evidence in the Help Way Earlier! report and agree to make child wellbeing a key priority for National Cabinet.” 

Child Protection Week runs from 1-7 September.  

Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897