The Every Child Campaign which is supported and funded by The Benevolent Society is asking all Australians to sign the National Child and Youth Wellbeing Commitment, asking us to commit to ‘It Takes 6’ and for every child to start school ready to learn, and every young person to leave school ready for life and work.
The Commitment highlights: Health, Learning, Housing, Positive Identity, Being Valued and Participating as six basic needs necessary to thrive; and seeks to break the current policy silos with a holistic approach to child and youth wellbeing.
Freya Whitehead, Every Child Campaign Advocate says, “We believe getting these basics met should not be a game of chance or luck. We’re calling on the Australian government to endorse a National Child and Youth Wellbeing Commitment that ensures every child, every young Australian, can get their six needs met.”
Commit to ‘It Takes 6’
The Commitment sets out these six points as:
- Health – every child should live a healthy life physically, emotionally, and mentally
- Learning – every child deserves access to high quality learning from the early years on
- Housing – every child should have the basics of living including a stable, secure home with a decent family income
- Positive Identity – every child from every culture and background should be confident and respected
- Valued – every child deserves to be valued, loved and safe living free from abuse and neglect
- Participation – every child should be able to have say connected into family and community life
“This evidence-based framework is directed at policy makers at all levels of government, with a focus on integrating service delivery and well-being strategies rather than seeing issues through individual policy silos.”
Sign the Commitment today
Every Child are encouraging people to sign the National Child and Youth Wellbeing Commitment to help every child and young person succeed and be safe. The Commitment requires government to:
- Endorse and invest in this six-point framework as a nation-building priority; and
- Report regularly on the delivery and the coordination of services across these six core areas
“By signing this Commitment, supporters will be joining a movement with hundreds of organisations and thousands of individuals who want our government to ensure, every child starts school ready to learn and every young person leaves school ready for life and work.”
“Every Child will be calling on all national leaders including our Prime Minister and Premiers to endorse the Commitment with the aim that, this framework will be adopted by decision-makers – and the six points be accepted as a baseline for sound policy making.”
For more information visit http://www.everychild.co/wellbeing_commitment.