Policy, research and submissions

Ensuring the voices of children, young people and their families are represented at all levels of government.

Last updated: 24 Nov 2025

Our commitment to representation and evidence-based solutions

We are dedicated to ensuring the voices of children, young people and their families are represented at all levels of government.

We are proactive in preparing submissions to governmental bodies and other relevant stakeholders. These submissions serve as powerful advocacy tools, highlighting the needs and concerns of children, families and the workforce that supports them.

Our research initiatives generate valuable insights into the challenges faced by children and families and potential solutions to address these challenges. With a firm commitment to evidence-based practices, our research not only informs our own work but also contributes to broader discussions and policymaking processes.

Our latest submissions
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Parent and Carers Guide to Social Media Age Restrictions This accessible and concise pdf from ReachOut, summarises the U16 Social Media ban’s intended purpose, potential impacts, and strategies for parents and carers to navigate behavioural change, and resources to help teens access professional support.
Submission
Supports Not Funded by the NDIS A guide to understanding the services, items. and equipment that don't qualify for NDIS funding.
Submission
NDIS Early Intervention Requirements A guide to understanding the requirements needed to access NDIS early intervention services
Submission
Victoria State Budget Submission 2025-26 The Centre submitted recommendations for the Victorian State Budget 2025-26, advocating targeted investments in children, families and frontline services. We called for expanded affordable housing, bolstered early years support, and sustainable funding for family violence prevention and crisis systems. The submission emphasised closing service gaps in outer suburbs and regional areas, strengthening workforce capacity, and improving integrated support across health, education and social services. We urged greater attention to child and family wellbeing in Victoria’s fiscal settings. The aim is to ensure that the budget supports safe, stable futures for children and families experiencing vulnerability.

Treating Families Fairly

Treating Families Fairly is an alliance of child and family service organisations, peak bodies, and academic experts advocating for fair and respectful social policy.

Formed in 2017, the alliance emerged in response to concerns about the impact of conditional welfare policies on families and the services that support them. Our work highlights the critical link between poverty, social security systems, and child and family wellbeing. We call for policy reform upholding dignity, reducing harm, and building a more equitable future for all families.

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Latest policy and research news from the Centre
Open Letter to Victorian Members of Parliament

Open Letter to Victorian Members of Parliament

27 Nov 2025

We, the undersigned community organisations, wish to express our concern over delays to the Social Services Regulation Amendment (Child Safety, Complaints and Worker Regulation) Bill 2025, currently before Parliament.
Tasmanian Interim Budget 2025-26: Member Summary

Tasmanian Interim Budget 2025-26: Member Summary

07 Nov 2025

Read our summary of key interim budget priorities for children, young people, families, carers and the organisations that support them.
The Centre shares report on AI in the social work profession

The Centre shares report on AI in the social work profession

06 Nov 2025

The report responds to the sector's call for guidance on AI and sets out to explore how AI can support social work practice while highlighting the need for ethical, human-centred use.
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The latest Research Review
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Key tenets of programs that successfully engage young people This Youth Action report – the product of a collaboration between the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Thrive International and Youth Action – collated evidence from diverse sources to identify effective ways of engaging young people in programs and service delivery. Some identified ways of engaging were client-centred, strengths-based, trauma-informed and culturally safe.
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The radicalisation of boys – Jess Hill, George Megalogenis, Thomas Mayo with Natasha Mitchell at Byron Writers Festival This panel discussion from ABC’s Big Ideas podcast explores the radicalisation of boys through misogynist online subcultures. Recorded live at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival, host Natasha Mitchell speaks with Jess Hill, Thomas Mayo and George Megalogenis about the rise of the 'manosphere' and 'incel' communities, and their impact on boys’ wellbeing, identity and relationships. Drawing on journalism, activism and lived experience, the speakers unpack how these ideologies spread, why they resonate and what parents, educators and communities can do to respond.
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Include me, don’t exclude me: The experiences of children and young people who have been suspended or excluded from Queensland state schools This report by the Queensland Family and Child Commission captures the lived experiences of children and young people suspended or excluded from Queensland state schools. Drawing on interviews with 34 children and young people and four of their parents or carers as well as departmental data, the report finds that School Disciplinary Absences (SDAs) disproportionately affect First Nations children, children with disability and those in OOHC. Participants reported feeling unheard, unsupported and disconnected from learning. The report recommends embedding child rights education, improving teacher capability and expanding restorative practices to ensure inclusive, high-quality education for all.
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Freeing teachers to teach: Unlocking productivity through classroom support This paper from the McKell Institute critiques national education reform proposals and calls for targeted investment in classroom support to improve teacher retention. Drawing on sector analysis and teacher feedback, the report argues that administrative overload, not lesson planning, is the key driver of burnout with up to 106 million hours annually lost to non-teaching tasks. It warns that centralised lesson banks and AI tools risk deskilling teachers and undermining their professional autonomy, especially in disadvantaged schools. The authors advocate for specially resourced administrative staff and caution against reforms that treat teaching as content delivery rather than skilled, relational work.

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The Centre’s membership benefits build collaboration, advocacy, and capacity within the child and family services sector, ensuring a more resilient and supportive environment that provides better outcomes for children and families.
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