Thursday 15 December

Issue 3

Dear Colleagues,

Here we are at the end of another full year. Having this year been reappointed for a further three years as Commissioner for Children and Young People, I have compiled the priority issues and concerns I have heard about from South Australia’s children and young people over the past five years into my forward looking Advocacy Agenda. 

Thousands of South Australian children and young people have participated in summits, workshops, focus groups, surveys, polls and initiatives throughout the year, providing me with crucial insight into the areas of their lives in which the systems we have put in place are not working well for them and need to change. 

May I take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you in 2023 to change the systems which impact South Australia's children and young people to ensure their quality of life is always improving.

Featured News

Statewide SRC recap for 2022

The inaugural SA SRC with more than 150 senior student members from across the state, identified issues and actions they believe will bring about positive change across their communities.
Watch the 2min 2022 Recap video

Sanitary Packs for Basketball SA

Basketball SA's Female Participation Strategy means sanitary items are now being supplied at all BSA-run stadiums and Clubs across the state.  More

Digital Challenge Winners 2022

Winners of this year's Digital Challenges:  Learn to Speak Robot, Space to Dream and Zoom Out announced. More

Community Outreach |  Connections | Events

Inaugural YAG for Netball SA

Netball SA has acted on recommendations made by the CCYP establishing its first Youth Advisory Group to enable young people to have input into decision making. More

new 'hubadl.com' launched

hub is an online space built by, for and about SA's 15-22 year olds. SA SRC reps also engage and share their campaigns and initiatives on hub plus there's an exciting opportunity for 18-21-year-olds to become hub interns. More

COP 27 Submission by SA Young People 

The climate workshop held in Anti-Poverty Week led to an Open Letter from SA Young People to Australian delegates attending COP 27. Read the letter and Watch the recap video

Commissioner's Runabout

A snapshot summary of what the Commissioner has been busy with over the last three months, connecting and engaging with SA children, young people, and adult stakeholders alike. More

Submissions | Briefs | Reports

Advocacy Agenda built on five key life dimensions

Built around the five key life dimensions contained in the Charter for Children: health, safety, wellbeing, education and citizenship, the Commissioner is asking organisations with an interest in child rights, wellbeing and development to consider dovetailing the contents of her advocacy agenda with their own to bring about positive change that will improve the lives of SA's children and young people in the shortest timeframes Download the Advocacy Agenda

2022 Child Rights Progress Reports launched
An annual suite of seven reports released on International Human Rights Day (10 December) each year. Each report examines SA's progress against recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in relation to Child Health, Child Protection, Child Justice, Disability, Education, Environment and Physical Punishment.
Download the Reports Summary here
Download full suite of reports here

Living with Chronic Illness - Issues Brief

It is estimated that between 16 and 20 per cent of children and young people in South Australia will suffer with a chronic illness at some point in their childhood. If we are to develop ways to protect, promote, and support young people's overall health and wellbeing we need to better understand the varied ways in which chronic illness impacts their lives physically and mentally. 
Read the full issues brief here

Submission on the legislative review of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017

A sound legislative framework that strikes the right balance between principles and prescriptiveness is what South Australia's children and young people need to promote and protect their rights from birth into adulthood.

Read the submission here

Child Voice and Participation

A submission complementing the Submission on the Review of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 focusing on the systemic changes needed to ensure children and young people are protected 'in' rather than 'from' participation, thereby ensuring we create child-centred systems that benefit from direct input by those they are intended to support. Read the submission here

Submission on the proposed Code of Conduct for Teachers in South Australia

Although being developed at a time when teachers - and the sites and systems in which they work - are under significant stress, the proposed Code of Conduct for Teachers can provide important aspirational guidance at a teacher and classroom level. Read the full submission

CCYP Annual Report 2021/2022

The Commissioner's Annual Report was tabled in Parliament on 16 November 2022, providing a full overview of the projects and initiatives undertaken throughout the 2021/2022 financial year. Read the full report here

What Children Say About... 

During Children's Week the Commissioneir published four snapshots providing insights into what primary school aged children think about grownups, wellbeing, looking after the planet, and Covid-19. They summarise the feedback received via the annual Student Postcard Initiative which provides opportunities for children in Years 2-6 to tell their Commissioner what matters to them most. 
Read the snapshots here

NOW Recruiting Members of the 2023 SA SRC

Are you or do you any young people who will be in Year 10, 11 or 12 next year who would be interested in being a member of the statewide Student Representative Council. Watch the recruiment video above. Applications close 20 January. Apply here

Grants | Projects | Initiatives | Surveys

What's On

Thank you to the 92 Government, Catholic and Independent primary and combined schools who supported more than 12,000 students across the state to participate in this year's Space to Dream Challenge. Twenty top rated 2D and 3D designs are now on display in the Endeavour Room at the Australian Space Discovery Centre McEwin Bldg Lot Fourteen through to Friday 20 Jan 2023. Bookings essential 

Complete your Student Voice Postcards Today!
Today is the final day to complete your School's 2022 Student Voice Postcards and return them to the Commissioner so they're part of this annual statewide student voice and agency initiative for Years 2-6.
Find our more here

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