Save the Children is calling for the upcoming Federal Budget to prioritise children’s well-being, recovery, and resilience in the face of COVID-19, conflict, and the climate crisis.

In its submission to the 2022-23 Federal Budget, Save the Children highlighted the growing need and inequality arising due to these life and livelihood-threatening factors.

The leading child protection and rights charity is strongly encouraged by reports that the government will boost development assistance to the Pacific Islands region by $900 million and recommends the following investments in tomorrow’s Budget to protect children’s futures at home and abroad.

“Not seriously investing in the safety, resilience and development of Australia’s children is to not invest in the future of our country as a whole,” said CEO Mat Tinkler.

“We implore the new Federal Government to dig deep and do the right thing for our kids, who have both so much to lose and so much to gain.”

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As children are once again forced to flee their homes in Australia due to the threat of widespread flooding, Save the Children is also calling for an allocation of $25.69 million over four years to support children’s well-being, recovery, and resilience building in the face of the climate crisis.

To address both the social and economic dimensions of children’s well-being and COVID-19 recovery in the short, medium and long term Save the Children is calling for the creation of a National Children’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan.

“In a world of COVID-19, global conflict, and increasingly severe bushfires, floods and other disasters, in the shadow of what many children perceive as the existential threat of climate change, this is truly a time of crisis for children.”

Save the Children is calling for $58.09 million over three years to work towards ending violence against children in the Pacific and, an increase in Australia’s humanitarian funding allocation to at least $1.5 billion in response to increased and intensified need, and more complex emergencies.

“It’s an incredibly difficult time in history to be a child, with so many factors having the potential to cause significant harm to the development, learning and lifelong opportunities of an entire generation.

Third Sector is hosting the 5th National Child Protection Forum, to register click here.