Children and Homelessness in Western Australia: A Call for Urgent Action The housing crisis in Western Australia has left thousands of children and young people facing the profound impacts of homelessness. During Homelessness Week 2024, VCI hosted a unique workshop—thanks to grant support from Shelter WA and Lotterywest—to explore these impacts. Bringing together frontline service workers and individuals with lived experiences of homelessness, this workshop uncovered the emotional, educational, and social toll that poverty and housing instability take on young lives.

This workshop, part of VCI’s End Child Poverty campaign launched in April 2024, captured firsthand accounts and perspectives to drive legislative action from the Australian Government. Participants shared stories of the distressing realities children face without stable housing, including missing school, anxiety, isolation, and insecurity. Support workers highlighted how the lack of safe homes leaves children and young people without the stability needed to thrive.

From these powerful conversations, the workshop produced Letters to the Ministers Cards, Posters on Children and Homelessness in WA, and Storytelling Cards—bringing real voices and experiences to the forefront.

The report outlines critical insights from this workshop, asking the vital question: What happens to children when stable housing isn’t available? Key themes emerged:

Food & Essential Education & Early LearningBelonging & CommunityJustice & Child ProtectionFamily Lif Utilities & Access to Service Income & Employment

Participants conveyed their messages for those in power: “We are hopeful. We are angry. We demand better. We want real, actionable change.”

Read the full report to see the personal letters, stories, and calls for change, bringing to light the faces and realities behind homelessness. Let’s work together to provide every child the right to a safe and stable home.

In Conversation with Dr Claire Achmad, Chief Children’s Commissioner, Aotearoa New Zealand As part of the Children's Policy Centre Webinar Series for 2024, Professor Sharon Bessell spoke with Dr Claire Achmad, Chief Children’s Commissioner, Aotearoa New Zealand on 6 November 2024.

Join us for a special evening to hear from Professor Sharon Bessell on her groundbreaking work amplifying the voices of children living in poverty. Through her research, Professor Bessell is developing essential indicators to measure child poverty, helping us prevent more children from facing it.

Event Highlights:

Speakers: Prof. Sharon Bessell sharing insights and stories from the More for Children research.

Campaign Milestones and Vision: Learn about our campaign’s impact so far, our strategy for 2025, and how we’ll make change leading up to both state and national elections.

Teddy Bear Installation: Witness a powerful visual representation, with 100 teddies symbolising 100 children, of which 17 will be in a different colour to highlight the 17% of children in poverty.

Held at Lawson's Flat, the space is small, and numbers are limited. A welcome drink and canapes will be served thanks to our campaign partners The Tony Fini Foundation.

Discovering Child Poverty Through a Child’s Eyes

The More for Children research by the Children’s Policy Centre at ANU explores poverty from a child’s perspective, with the aim to end child poverty in Australia. Watch as Professor Sharon Bessell shares insights from this groundbreaking work, giving voice to children’s experiences and needs.

More for Children Issues Paper 2: Housing shares children’s perspectives on what it’s like to experience the housing crisis firsthand.

Hunger Report 2024 15 October 2024 Prepared for Foodbank Australia 24-048445-01 Ipsos Public Affair

If you're interested in hosting a "Chat for Change" for the End Child Poverty campaign, get in touch with us to raise awareness, inspire action, and foster meaningful conversations about child poverty in Australia.

ACCGA Joint Statement on Poverty All Australian children are entitled to grow up safe, healthy and get the support they need to reach their full potential.” – Australian Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates (ACCGA)

End Child Poverty Campaign: A Voice for Children at Australia’s Parliament House

We took a vital step forward in our fight against child poverty by holding our first national campaign catch-up on the front lawn of Australia’s Parliament House. It was a powerful gathering, where we united to present our case to the Parliamentary Friends of Poverty and walk the halls of Parliament, ensuring that the voices of children living in poverty are heard where it matters most.

In light of the ongoing cost of living and housing crisis, we recognize that families are facing unprecedented challenges. Our mission is clear: we must urge our decision-makers to consider the profound impacts of these issues on children. By measuring and defining child poverty, we aim to prevent more children from experiencing the hardships that come with it.

Our campaign is backed by a coalition of passionate advocates, including Mission Australia, Toni Wren, Paul Wright, Cadhla O’Sullivan, Sharon Bessell, Families Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, Uniting, UnitingCare Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society Australia, Alicia Payne, and Centrecare.

We want you to be part of this crucial work! Join us in the campaign to end child poverty and help us advocate for a brighter future for all children in Australia. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Stay tuned for our next steps, and let’s keep the momentum going!

We are excited to share that Danielle Newport, CEO of Relationships Australia WA, has made a powerful pledge in support of the Valuing Children Initiative's End Child Poverty Campaign.

Their commitment helps amplify the call for real change to ensure every child in Australia has the chance to grow up safe, secure, and supported.

Other organisations are encouraged to make their pledge on the End Child Poverty website and join the movement for lasting change.

👉 Visit endchildpoverty.com.au to learn more and take action.Thank you, Relationships WA, for standing with us in this vital conversation!

MEDIA RELEASE

Sunday October 13, 2024

Millions of Australians in poverty including people on income support, children and homeless people this Anti-Poverty Week

Children, people on income support, those experiencing homelessness, older women, domestic and family violence survivors and First Nations people are among more than three million Australians living in poverty this Anti-Poverty Week.

Channel 10 Helps Make Child Poverty a National Conversation

We need the reality of child poverty to become common knowledge among all Australians. These uncomfortable conversations are crucial for sparking the action needed to address our national child poverty crisis! We need your support to make this happen.

During Anti-Poverty Week 2024, the Valuing Children Initiative stood alongside organisations to demand action.
Foodbank WA
Centrecare
St Patrick's Community Support Centre
54 reasons
Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS)
Commissioner for Children and Young People WA
Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) Australian Human Rights Commission
Youthgovau
Minderoo Foundation
Kate O'Hara
Louise Giolitto
Fraser Beattie
Chris Twomey
12 Buckets Inc
Larissa Muir
Justice, Ecology and Development Office
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Shelter WA
Kath Snell
Wanslea
Jo Sadler
Daryl Higgins
Mason Rothwell
Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC)
MercyCare
Anglicare WA
Joshua Patrick

We displayed 100 teddy bears, including 17 orange bears, to symbolize the staggering reality that 17 in 100 Australian children live in poverty.These bears represent safety and security—the very basics every child deserves. Our message is clear: it’s time for the government to take real steps to end child poverty in Australia. Every child deserves the chance to grow up safe, secure, and supported. Sign the petition today at endchildpoverty.com.au.

We gathered at Government House for the ‘Listening Day’ during Anti-Poverty Week, shining a spotlight on the urgent issue of child poverty in Australia.
​
​The testimonies from inspiring speakers like Joshua Patrick and Kim, along with a moving performance by Indigo Ellis, reminded us of the harsh realities faced by many children in our communities.

We displayed 100 teddy bears, including 17 orange ones, symbolising that 17 in 100 Aussie kids live in poverty. This striking visual served as a wake-up call – we cannot ignore the children being left behind!

Now is the time to take action! We need the End Child Poverty Campaign to become common knowledge, and we need everyone in Australia to join us in this fight.

Sign the petition to End Child Poverty now! Together, we have the power to create lasting change and ensure no child is left behind. Let’s make a difference!

#EndChildPoverty #ListeningDay #TakeAction #ChildPoverty #Australia #ValuingChildren #NoMoreExcuses

Media release

October 17, 2024

New figures project nearly 1million Australian children would be living in poverty by the end of 2024, prompting more than 70 Western Australian corporate and not-for profit organisations to call on the Federal Government to introduce legislation to prevent further children experiencing the devastating effects of poverty.

Australia’s unprecedented cost of living and housing crisis has resulted in another 102,000 children living below the poverty in Australia, 21,000 of which are here in WA, according to data analysis by Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre.

Speaking out during Anti-Poverty Week, the End Child Poverty campaign has garnered 140 partners across Australia, 72 in WA. The campaign, run by the Valuing Children Initiative, a project by Centrecare, are calling for a definition, measure and response to child poverty through legislation in the Australia Parliament.

12 Buckets CEO Larissa Muir said children growing up in poverty in 2024 are feeling the weight of disadvantage with no clear path out.

“In the space of 12 months we have gone from supporting 160 young people each week to 350 young people each week across all of our programs,” she said.

“At 12 Buckets we see firsthand how poverty impacts the children and young people in our community. Childhood poverty often goes unnoticed.

“We work with schools and families to provide resources, opportunities, and support that help our children and young people stay engaged in education, develop social skills, and build a sense of belonging. But the scale of this issue requires a larger commitment. We value our children and will take bold action to ensure that no child is left behind, and all can thrive.”

Samara’s story from 12 Buckets

Samara is 8 years old. Her family can’t afford the school excursions or basic supplies like pencils for school. She has watched her friends board the bus this year to go on planned excursions from the office window, while her teachers dip into their own pockets to buy her what she needs for class.

Hamish’s story from 12 Buckets

Hamish is 16 years old and has been moving between Grandma’s and his uncle’s houses for the past two years. He has stopped trying to keep up with school because in his words “What’s the point?”.

Senior Industry Fellow with Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre and co-author of “Child Poverty in Australia 2024”, Chris Twomey said recent economic modelling found nearly one million Australian children (975,587)* are now living in poverty in 2024.

“Our research looked at the scarring effects of childhood poverty by comparing the work, health and life outcomes of young people who had grown up in poverty,” he said.

“The biggest single driver of the rising poverty rate is the rent – which makes up a bigger slice of the weekly budget for low income households. After COVID, rental costs rose much faster for households in the lower quartile of incomes who are living in lower quartile rentals.

“This means, while average rents rose 11.2% between 2020 and 2022, lower quartile rents rose by 17.8%. They then rose 16% in 2023 and have risen over 12% so far in 2024.”

“Growing up in poverty children are 8 per cent more likely to experience poverty as adults, 11 per cent less likely to secure work and much more likely to be nervous or unhappy with their lives.”

Kate O’Hara CEO of Foodbank WA and Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week WA 2024, said in WA, there are 200,000 households facing severe food insecurity in the last 12 months - regularly having whole days of no food,” she said.

“Those hit hardest in WA are low-income households who are now facing their worst environment since the cost-of-living crisis began. To cope, households are simply cutting back overall or relying on credit.

“For many who had turned to family and friends for help before, this support is declining.

“These facts are startling and reinforced in the front-line experience of our Foodbank services. What we do hope happens as a result of Anti-Poverty Week activity, is all organisations and stakeholders that care about the health and wellbeing of our community, gain a clearer picture of the truth too many face, and we come together to find different pathways, if we are to deliver a different outcome. Change is possible and further understanding and collaboration is essential for effective relief.”

VCI Development Executive and End Child Poverty campaign manager Sarah Quinton said the rising rate of child poverty in Australia is going unchecked because of the lack of nationally agreed definition and measures.

“We don’t know exactly how many children are living in poverty because we use data sets that are years old. We also use a decades old poverty measure that only looks at income measurement,” she said.

“Poverty for children isn’t only about missing out on meals or a safe place to sleep, although that is deeply hard for children, it can also be about a loss of friendships, less of life opportunities as well as material loss.

“As a nation, we must think beyond job numbers and inflation rates as a measure for child poverty, we must consider the health and mental health impacts on children, which can carry the trauma for decades after they leave home.

WA Council of Social Services CEO Louise Giolitto said an Australia with a bright future is one in which all our children have what they need to grow and thrive.

"As research tells us more about the critical role of early development in creating outcomes through the life course, it becomes increasingly clear that child poverty diminishes our life-long opportunities,” she said.

"Conversely, when a child misses the opportunity to realise their potential, we are all diminished as a society. It narrows our future options and potentially adds to future challenges.

"Now, more than ever, we need to see more effective and targeted relief for those doing it toughest in our community."

Facts

*The figures for 2024 are projections based on the poverty rate for children calculated using 2022 HILDA data, which is children including dependant students under the age of 18 years old.

The 2022 data gives 823,000 children living below a standard 50% poverty line.

The projection has the poverty rate rising from 12.5% in 2021 to 17% in 2024.

That is an additional 254,000 children over the last 3 years now in poverty.

For the 18-24yr age group, 54% are food insecure, 55% have some form of paid work and 56% are renting.

The group most at risk of child poverty are children in single parent families.

One in three (33.4%) single parent families are living below a 50% median poverty line

Over two in five (42.7%) live below a 60% median poverty line (the OECD standard).

One in five children in single parent households live in significant poverty (below 40% median)

While over one in ten live in extreme poverty (below 30% of median).

The proportion of children growing up in single parent households rose 11.2% over the decade between 20-13 and 2023.

See the full list of WA and national campaign supporters here

Media contact:

End Child Poverty campaign - Sarah Quinton 0439439233

www.endchildpoverty.comn.au

12 Buckets – Larissa Muir 0413 263 289

12 Buckets - Change a Young Person's Life

BCEC Fellow Chris Twomey 0407 725 025

BCEC Child Poverty in Australia Report

WACOSS CEO Louise Giolitto: Fraser Beattie 0421505557

More than 116 00 WA Kids are going hungry

Pp-ed in The West food insecurity

 Data Foodbanks report.

• 2 million households have faced severe food insecurity in the last 12 months

• More than 370,000 households in Western Australia experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months. 

• Food relief support from family and friends in WA has dropped to 24 % compared to 34 % in 2023

• Close to 200,000 households in WA experienced severe FI in the last 12-months

• Almost half of low-income households have faced food insecurity in 2024, the worst the situation has been since the cost-of-living crisis began.

• Australian households navigate the pressures of rising living costs by cutting back or relying on credit

https://reports.foodbank.org.au/foodbank-hunger-report-2024/

We are asking all End Child Poverty campaign partner organisations to host a ‘Chat for Change’ any day during Anti-Poverty Week October 13th -19th 2024

Your Chat for Change will involve:

• Print and place the End Child Poverty Poster around your office

• Ask everyone to sign the petition

• Get your CEO to make a 15sec video, post and TAG VCI

• Put your event in your newsletter

• Ask ONE organisation to pledge to the campaign

• Play our video on End Child Poverty to your team

Register your Chat for Change with event with Anti Poverty week

“When I moved, I didn’t even get to bring my baby teddy bear, this made me sad and nervous,”

– Mary 7 years old

As an End Child Poverty campaign partner, we are asking each of you to invite along THREE other organisations to join the campaign. Our goal is to reach 500 by the election.

Welcome to Anti-Poverty Week

‘Broken’ single mother issues urgent plea for more crisis support for kids | The West Australian

As the Valuing Children Initiative continues its campaign to end child poverty in Australia, it's crucial to revisit the important discussions from last year’s End Child Poverty webinar. The insights shared remain just as relevant now as we strive to create a better future for all Australian children.

The webinar brought together international experts to explore effective strategies from countries like the United States and New Zealand, where dedicated measures to address child poverty are already in place. Our esteemed guest speakers discussed the positive impact these policies have had on children living in poverty and what we can learn from their experiences.

Our guest speakers included:

• Kate Breslin, President and CEO, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, New York

• Cara Baldari, Vice President, Family Economics, Housing and Homelessness, First Focus on Children, U.S.

• Hugh Webb, Principal Analyst, Child Wellbeing and Poverty Reduction Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, New Zealand

• Toni Wren, Executive Director, Anti-Poverty Week, Australia

While the conversation around child poverty continues to evolve, the statistics and urgency behind the issue remain unchanged. More than ever, we are committed to advocating for strong policies and solutions to ensure no Australian child is left behind.

The discussion is ongoing, and we need your help to keep this critical issue at the forefront of public attention. By signing our petition, you can be part of a movement that is pushing for real, lasting change.