‘Torture’: mum’s horror at hot coffee thrown over baby
The mother of a baby burnt after a stranger poured hot coffee on the boy says she wishes she was the victim and keeps having flashbacks of the incident.
parent and child
How a call helped an Aboriginal mum find connection
A Wiradjuri mother is sharing her experience with perinatal anxiety, as a national helpline reports increasing calls from Indigenous people.
‘Many times over’: childcare pay rise to reap dividends
A pay rise for childcare workers has been praised by the sector and unions but there are calls for more funding for the industry to retain staff.
Baby drought as house prices push parents out of cities
Australians are having less babies and the fertility plunge is being blamed on high housing costs with analysis showing parents are being pushed to the fringes.
children
computing and information technology
online
parent and child
politics (general)
safety of citizens
science and technology
social issue
social issues (general)
social problems
technology (general)
Photos of Aussie kids scraped, used by popular AI tool
Child safety advocates have called for greater online privacy protections after Human Rights Watch identified photos of young Australians in an AI dataset.
Kids reeling as bullying, screen time take heavy toll
Parents and their children are struggling to cope with cost-of-living pressures, the over-use of technology and lingering effects of the pandemic.
Reforms target scrutiny of fertility clinic services
Proposed laws in Queensland will bring greater scrutiny to IVF and fertility services, as well as the introduction of a donor conception register.
Uber to let Australian teens ride solo, in some states
Passengers as young as 13 years old will be able to order a ride under a new service being launched by Uber in three states and territories.
Australian adoption numbers drop to record low
The number of children being adopted in Australia has dropped to a record low after falling by 98 per cent over half a century.
Christmas Miracle: Gold Coast Twins Defy Medical Challenges
Gold Coast's own Lucas and Bailey Edwards, twin brothers who bravely fought health challenges since their premature birth, are now gearing up to celebrate a heartwarming first Christmas at home with their family.
Tyrrell foster father argues ‘lawful’ force on child
William Tyrrell's foster parents have claimed that force and allegedly intimidatory statements to another child were lawfully made as punishment.
Advocates make ‘dire lack’ of child care election issue
Parent advocates plan to make a shortage of accessible and affordable early learning in regional, rural and remote Queensland an election issue.
Families earning $80k or less could get free child care
The government should modify childcare subsidies and increase access for children from all backgrounds, particularly low-income households, a report suggests.
Past due date: no solution to midwifery insurance gap
A gap in professional indemnity insurance for endorsed midwives has still not been fixed, a month after the Health Department was advised of the issue.
Hospital shortages threaten local births for Vic women
Maternity services in Victoria's Geelong region are struggling to get enough staff, causing them to turn pregnant women away to other centres.
Childhood trauma linked to pregnancy complications
Women whose childhoods involved domestic violence, maltreatment or substance abuse at home are more at risk of complications during pregnancy, researchers say.
Homebirths to be introduced at Royal Women’s Hospital
Victoria's publicly funded homebirth program will be expanded to three extra hospitals, including the Royal Women's Hospital, the state government says.
Mother-of-eight admits raping teen daughter
A 45-year-old woman has admitted raping her intellectually impaired teenage daughter after insisting the child live with her after leaving foster care.
One-shot virus vaccine hope to protect preterm babies
A team at a Brisbane mothers' hospital believe a new respiratory virus vaccine could deliver single dose protection for premature babies.
Childcare fee hikes hitting low-income families hard
Out-of-pocket childcare expenses climbed during the past four years and low-income families are faring worse as fees rise.
Childcare fee hikes on watchdog’s list as subsidy rises
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says childcare centres lifting fees are in the sights of the ACCC as subsidies for parents increase.
Child protection body ‘missing opportunities’ on abuse
The Queensland Family and Child Commission wants to address abuse but often cannot help individual children until it is too late, an inquiry has heard.
Why do young children sometimes steal? And what should parents do about it?
When children steal, naturally parents can be very concerned. They might wonder if they’ve taught their child correctly, whether it’s just a phase or whether they’re going to have a young offender on their hands.
Mother pleads guilty to manslaughter over toddler death
Laura Rose Peverill has pleaded guilty in the Townsville Supreme Court to manslaughter over the death of her toddler in 2020.
Disturbing scale of child abuse delivers ‘wake-up call’
One in three Australian children suffer physical abuse while one in four suffer sexual abuse, according to a new nationwide study.
Victorian dad admits shaking, killing newborn son
A Victorian father has admitted shaking his newborn son, pleading guilty to causing his fatal injuries at just eight weeks old.
Breaking down the taboo of baby loss with just a name
Talking about babies lost to stillbirth and sudden infant death can be a big part of coping with grief, says Red Nose Australia.
Children ‘not protected’ due to failures by Qld govt
A Queensland watchdog has found that children have not been protected from harm because their parents weren't provided with state government supports.
Judge defends booting breastfeeding mum out of court
A judge is being urged to apologise to a woman who was ordered out of a Victorian courtroom for breastfeeding her baby.
Breastfeeding mother and baby kicked out of court
A mother breastfeeding her child was asked to leave a court by a judge because he was concerned she would be a distraction to jurors.
Building resilient kids could start with a bubble
A new toolkit developed by trauma and pediatric experts will help parents manage emotional harm and build resilience in their children after natural disasters.