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Child poverty

Up to 17 per cent of Western Australia's 634,000 children and young people are estimated to be living in poverty.

The Commissioner strongly advocates for action to address child poverty in WA.

Since 2018, the Commissioner has published a number of reports on child poverty and continues to recommend the urgent need for:

  • A whole-of-government Child Wellbeing Strategy for WA, with a priority on targeted, early intervention for vulnerable WA children, young people and their families
  • Child impact assessments to be established when passing legislation or developing policy, programs and services
  • Social and economic support for children and their families
  • A Child Poverty Reduction Bill to be developed at a national level to achieve a sustained reduction in child poverty and improve government accountability.

Commissioner's resources

Missing Out Matters: Child poverty in WA
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Child poverty - A call to action
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Improving the odds for WA's vulnerable children and young people
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Discussion paper - Children and young people's vulnerability
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