Theme - National Child Protection Week 2022

National Child Protection Week 4 – 10 September 2022

National Child Protection Week will continue to embrace the overarching message that ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’.

In particular, this year we will be shining a light on children growing up safe and supported.

Children and young people thrive when they grow up safe, connected and supported in their family, community and culture.

They have the right to grow up in environments that support them according to their needs, now and into the future.

This year let’s talk about how we create a supportive environment for every child.

National Child Protection Week will be looking at what works to keep children safe and supported… what children are telling us… what families are telling us… what the evidence is telling us… and how to translate this knowledge into action.

We know that too many children are not growing up safe and supported and that Child Protection systems are overloaded. There are many opportunities to change the trajectory for these children.

We can stop child abuse and neglect – and reduce its impact – by working together to make sure every child in every community has a fair go.

Learn more about the words behind this year’s theme:

Find out how the Core Story for Early Childhood Development and Learning research can help you frame your communication so we can engage families and communities.

How does this all fit together?

Increasingly, Australians are working together to keep children safe and well. Individuals, organisations and governments across areas as diverse as early childhood education and care, health, mental health, disability, alcohol and other drug treatment and prevention, domestic and family violence, justice, housing and employment.

To help facilitate a big conversation about how to create a supportive environment for every child, we are taking inspiration from the ARACY Nest domains. These domains help us to think about the many things that every child and young person needs in order to grow up safe and well. They include:

feeling loved and safe
having a positive sense of identity and culture
having material basics
being healthy
learning
participating.

The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021 – 2031 Safe and Supported, will also help to guide the conversation. The National Framework was developed by the Australian Government, in collaboration with State and Territory Governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and the non-government sector. It provides a framework for how all these groups can come together to make sure that every child in Australia is safe and supported. The first implementation plans will be released in mid-2022.