Every Child Is Important

: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Larry Anthony, today launched the Australian Childhood Foundation’s nation-wide Every Child Is Importantcampaign.

Mr Anthony said the campaign has received more than $1.2 million in funding from the Australian Government’s National Agenda for Early Childhood.

“The Australian Childhood Foundation had originally received $264,000 from the Government for the Every Child Is Important campaign in Victoria and Tasmania.

“Given the success of this campaign, the Prime Minister announced further funding of $1 million to extend the campaign to all of Australia.

“The Every Child Is Important campaign includes a media campaign, parenting education seminars, the distribution of information booklets and newsletters and three tracking studies to learn of any changes in the community’s attitudes to the issue of child abuse.

“The campaign aims to promote attitudes in adults that are caring and supportive of children and encourage a commitment from adults to develop safe and non-abusive relationships with children. It is effective in informing adults about the causes and consequences of child abuse from the child’s perspective.

“The first tracking study will be released today by the newly formed National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse at Monash University, in partnership with the Australian Childhood Foundation.

“The results of these surveys and the discussions that will flow from them have been important to keep the community informed of the importance of reducing child abuse in Australia.

“Australia faces a real challenge in reducing child abuse and neglect. Rates of notifications and substantiations of child abuse and neglect have increased over recent years.

“However, it is a challenge that cannot be met by government alone. It is something that the whole community must be engaged in to ensure our children are safe,” Mr Anthony said.