A new and troubling report on the well-being of Australian children highlights that the nation is not on track to provide a fair, healthy, and sustainable future for its youngest citizens.
According to authors including Professors Fiona Stanley and Sharon Goldfeld, children’s outcomes have stagnated or worsened across 21 of 22 key measures, with high levels of obesity, mental health issues, educational disadvantage, and developmental delay.
This is not just an academic concern. Society itself is registering a persistent frustration: parents, teachers, and experts point out that children face inequalities that will have long-term consequences—from early childhood to entry into the workforce. Furthermore, the lack of progress in critical areas such as civics education, literacy and numeracy, poverty, housing, mental health, and obesity places a cumulative burden on the next generation.
The report does not stop at criticism. It proposes concrete policies: support for families living in poverty, enhanced early childhood care programs, adequate funding for public schools, protection from harmful marketing, and an end to new fossil fuel projects. Implementing these measures will require political will, coordination between federal and state governments, and active civil society engagement.
The Albanese government notes that some steps are already underway: three days of free early education for all children in need, $16.5 billion investment in school infrastructure, and programs reducing salt, sugar, and fat in processed foods. Yet, the numbers suggest these measures are insufficient. Stagnation or decline across almost all indicators shows that a more systematic, long-term strategy is needed—one that addresses the root causes of social inequality and childhood disadvantage.
The report from the Future Healthy Countdown 2030 initiative serves as a wake-up call: stagnation is not acceptable. Citizens, scientists, and policymakers must work together to turn concern into effective action, ensuring that every child has real opportunities to grow, learn, and live in a safe, clean, and fair environment. Australia cannot afford complacency if it is to secure a healthier, fairer generation.
