Plan International urges action after research finds the government is failing the most vulnerable children

Plan International is urging action after a new report finds the Australian government is failing the country’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Plan International is a member of the Australian Child Rights Taskforce that released the Children’s Report today.

The report found the most vulnerable children are being left behind, in particular: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability, LGBTIQ children, asylum seeker and refugee children, children living in regional and remote areas and in out of home care.

Plan International CEO Susanne Legena said the report was sobering and called for action.

“That the most disadvantaged children are being left behind, 30 years after Australia signed the UN Children’s Convention, is sobering indeed and demands urgent action,” said Ms Legena.

“We’re pleased this report has brought a focus on critical issues in our country – too often hidden from view – including birth registration, disadvantage for Indigenous children, and violence against children.”

The report detailed the level of disadvantage facing many children in Australia, including that:

• One in five is starting school developmentally vulnerable
• One in six is living in poverty
• One in seven is experiencing a mental disorder
• The number of children in out-of-home care more than doubled in the last two decades
• Children as young as ten are still being imprisoned in Australia

About Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.