Childcare sector ‘sleepwalking’ into market domination
A pay increase will help bolster the childcare sector but there are warnings more must be done to address market concentration and keep costs low for families.
children
Adults only: online codes to limit porn, gaming access
Australian internet users will have their age tested before they can access some gaming and pornographic websites under wide-ranging online safety proposals.
Mum of ‘precious’ girl killed by teen fights for reform
The family of a 10-year-old killed by a teenager have presented a petition to the NSW parliament calling for an inquest and scrutiny of the legal system.
Young children face jail again under controversial laws
The Northern Territory government has passed controversial laws to once again lower the age of criminal responsibility.
AFL Hall of Famer to stand trial for child sexual abuse
Champion footballer Carl Ditterich, who played 285 VFL games across the 1960s and '70s, will stand trial accused of sexually abusing a girl almost 40 years ago.
Teen accused of woman’s murder seeks police evidence
A solicitor for a teenage boy accused of murdering a grandmother says all involved have been "frustrated" by delays in gaining access to evidence for the case.
Australia leads world in slaying social media ‘monster’
Australia will lead the world in cleaning up the mess that has made social media an urgent health crisis for children, a US expert says.
Experts back age limit at landmark social media summit
Laws will be needed for social media companies to comply with any age limit on users, one premier says as experts back calls to restrict youth access.
New commissioner established: ‘our children deserve it’
A national commissioner to promote the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people will be appointed by the federal government.
No jury for teen murder trial after election spotlight
A teenager accused of a woman's stabbing murder has been granted a judge-only trial after youth crime emerged as a key Queensland election issue.
Buggy death jail term a ‘slap in the face’ for family
A man's decision to take seven children onto a buggy without helmets or seatbelts has been described as grossly negligent after a young girl died in a crash.
Banning kids from social media could cause greater harm
Mental health experts don't support proposals to ban children from accessing social media and are warning it could have unintended consequences.
‘Even US’ doing better on youth justice than Australia
Australia needs to dump its tough on crime approach towards kids and become accountable for its failures in child protection, the children's commissioner says.
Rolling the dice: kids aged 10 caught in gambling haze
One in three parents are worried about their teens gambling, with children aged under 10 among those treated for related health problems.
Children would lie about their age to evade YouTube ban
A teenage media proprietor says young Australians need to know more about a proposed social media ban as it could impact their education.
Cleo Smith’s abductor loses appeal against sentence
Cleo Smith's abductor Terence Kelly has failed to have his jail sentence reduced on appeal after he attempted to argue it was excessive and a judge had erred.
Advice on negative gearing ‘not unusual’: Treasurer
While the government has downplayed speculation it's contemplating changes to negative gearing, it's also not ruling it out.
Big states still truant in school funding stoush
Pressure is mounting on some of Australia's biggest states after Tasmania became the third jurisdiction to agree to the Commonwealth's school funding deal.
Man jailed for life over toddler’s torture and murder
A man who murdered a two-year-old girl after showing escalating violence and abuse towards her then concealed her body for three years has been jailed for life.
Free childcare, more subsidies urged for those in need
About half of Australian families will benefit from more subsidies and free childcare if the federal government pursues a sustainable path to universal access.
Childcare rapist to face sentencing for 307 offences
A childcare worker who admitted dozens of rapes of young girls is due to face sentencing after a prosecutor pleaded not to keep the families of victims waiting.
Landmark settlements for children detained in Nauru
Two children held in offshore detention in Nauru have secured settlements with the Australian government over harm caused to them in a protracted legal battle.
Social media ban poses barrier to mental health support
Mental health services and youth advocacy groups say they will find it harder to connect with young people if the government goes ahead with a social media ban.
‘Petrified’ siblings fight for their lives after blaze
The father of one-of-the-three children found unconscious inside a burning home says one child may not survive as the siblings remain critical in hospital.
‘Two precious souls’: tributes grow for slain boys
A mother of two boys found dead in the Blue Mountains remains under police guard, as the community mourns the loss by laying tributes at the family home.
Children promised a say on social media age ban plans
Some young people will get around an age limit on social media but a ban is still needed to protect children, the prime minister says.
Home-alone probe as kids in house fire fight for life
Three children, aged from one to five, are in a critical condition as police investigate the cause of a house fire and whether they were home alone.
Meta’s latest news ban an error but maybe not next time
Facebook parent company Meta has told an inquiry it did not intend to block news stories from its platforms in August, but it is keeping its options open.
‘Horrific’ figures as DV services given funding boost
Frontline services supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence won't get an immediate funding boost, as Australian leaders agree to a new package.
Early childhood education faces ‘workforce crisis’
Demand for early childhood education is soaring as the population grows but the sector is bleeding workers.
Trump to vote against Florida abortion rights amendment
Donald Trump says he will vote against a Florida abortion rights amendment even as his support among woman slides.