Agency Performance - Engage with children and young people
Over the past year, more than 7,770 children and young people have shared their experiences with us through classrooms, youth centres, creative forums and online platforms. Their openness, insight and optimism reinforced the importance of ensuring that their voices remain central to our work.
These engagements directly shape and inform the priorities of the office. By creating safe and respectful spaces for children and young people to be heard, we have strengthened our understanding of their experiences and deepened our commitment to advancing their rights and wellbeing.
This ongoing work continues to guide our focus on ensuring that children and young people can meaningfully influence our agenda and contribute to decisions about their lives, as well as identifying gaps in services, supports, policies and practices across government and non-government sectors.
Listening to young voices to shape reform
The Commissioner undertakes a Listening Tour each year to engage with children and young people from across the state to hear their voices on what matters to them.
During these events, children and young people are encouraged to lead conversations, give voice to their concerns and share their opinions about where they live and the lives they lead.
This year the focus was on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The children and young people discussed which of the rights were most important and which were not being upheld.
The young people demonstrated a clear understanding of children's rights and expressed strong views on fairness, inclusion and participation. Key messages included:
- The importance of having a genuine voice in decisions that affect them.
- The need for greater awareness and promotion of children's rights.
- The value of hearing diverse perspectives.
- The belief that rights should be accompanied by responsibility and respect.
Other discussions highlighted key issues such as education, mental health and wellbeing, safety, access to services and opportunities for inclusion and participation.
Students raised both practical and systemic challenges, including access to mental health support, safety in public spaces, transport issues and the need for more engaging and flexible approaches to learning.
The forums successfully created a supportive and engaging environment that enabled the children and young people to share their perspectives and contribute meaningfully to discussions about their rights and experiences.
Their feedback highlights the importance of continuing to create inclusive and participatory spaces, strengthening opportunities for collaboration and ensuring that young people's voices are not only heard but also actively inform decision-making processes.
The Commissioner also attended individual schools and engaged with established youth advisory mechanisms such as the Youth Disability Advocacy Network (YDAN), Youth Pride Network (YPN), Youth Homelessness Advisory Council (YHAC), Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA), Ministerial Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) and Education Youth Advisory Council as well as with other multicultural and youth events.
The Commissioner met 5,208 children and young people in the Perth metropolitan region and 2,118 in regional WA between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. This included visits to primary schools, secondary schools, vocational schools and non-government organisations.
Schools visited
The participating schools the Commissioner visited or engaged with in 2025-26 included:
- Perth College
- The Y School Mirrabooka
- Ballajurra Community College
- Kiara College
- Swan View Senior High School
- Singleton Primary School
- Rockingham Lakes Primary School
- Settlers Primary School
- Bungaree Primary School
- Warnbro Primary School
- Hillman Primary School
- Safety Bay Senior High School
- Rockingham Montessori School
- Kolbe Secondary College
- Baldivis Secondary College
- John Curtin College of the Arts
- Lakeland SHS
- All Saints College
- Port School
- Morley Primary School
A highlight this year was a youth forum hosted by the Commissioner in February 2026, which created a dedicated space for young people to speak directly about the issues impacting their lives.
The forum brought together youth representatives from YDAN, YHAC, YACWA, YPN, The Integrity Initiative and the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia, who shared their lived experiences and outlined key issues and practical solutions for change to members of ANZCCGA.
The discussions focused on key issues affecting young people, such as mental health and wellbeing, housing insecurity, discrimination, disability inclusion, education and employment pathways, and cost-of-living pressures.
Participants highlighted the importance of culturally safe and inclusive services, stronger protections for vulnerable young people and greater accountability across government and community systems.
Watch the East Metro forum reel
Watch the South Metro forum reel
What children and young people told us
"I got to speak my opinion with no judgement."
"Get to share my thoughts with like-minded people."
"Tell the government what we said today."
"Enjoyed sharing my ideas with the Commissioner."
Youth Week WA 2026
Youth Week WA 2026 was recognised from 10 to 16 April throughout the state, under the theme 'Strength in Our Stories'. As Western Australia's largest annual celebration of young people aged 10 to 25, the week provided an opportunity for young people to express their ideas, raise important issues, create entertainment and celebrate their contribution to the community.
The Commissioner ran a social media campaign throughout the week to mark the occasion and bring the voices of young Western Australians to the fore.
A highlight of this year's campaign was a social media takeover by Layla, the Commissioner's School-Based Trainee. Over the course of the week, Layla introduced herself to our audiences, shared her own perspective on the theme and brought a genuine young person's voice to the work of the Commissioner's office. Content included an introductory video, a get-to-know-me graphic, posts inviting young people to respond to the Commissioner's DigiMe question for Youth Week and a series of creative reels produced in collaboration with the communications team. Layla's takeover concluded with a personal reflection on what the week meant to her.
Watch Youth Week reel 1 and Youth Week reel 2.
Case study: Layla's experience
While working for the Commissioner for Children and Young People's office, I have taken part in a lot of exciting experiences that include the WA Youth Award judging and attending the Youth Awards. That was an inspiring opportunity to be a part of because I got to hear all about what young people have been doing around WA and making a difference in their communities.
It has been incredible to see the Commissioner working with the children during a youth forum too.
Another thing I got to experience was taking over the Commissioner's social media for Youth Week. That was a great opportunity to be a part of because I got to see all the different posts people are doing, which was incredible! It has been amazing working at the Commissioner's office.
Children's Week
Children's Week is an annual event dedicated to celebrating children and promoting the rights of the child, as proclaimed by the United Nations in 1954.
In 2025, the Commissioner launched Children's Week in Western Australia at the Bullsbrook Community Event, delivered by Meerilinga. The event brought together families and community members to celebrate children and highlight the importance of their participation, wellbeing and rights. The 2025 theme, 'Everyone should know about Children's Rights', focused on raising awareness of children's rights across communities.
As part of Children's Week activities, the Commissioner also visited Buttercups Childcare Northbridge, where she read stories to children, supporting early literacy and engaging directly with young children in an early learning environment.
Watch the Children's Week reel.
Snapshot WA
During Youth Week WA 2026, the Commissioner launched Snapshot WA, a statewide photography competition open to children and young people aged 8 to 17.
The competition invited entrants to share their world through photography, capturing everyday moments, the places they belong and the experiences that shape who they are.
Snapshot WA was free to enter, with digital submissions accepted via the Commissioner's website. The competition closed on 28 May 2026 and almost 300 entries were received, presenting a range of perspectives that highlighted the experiences of life in Western Australia for children and young people.
The winners were announced on the Commissioner's website in early July.
Watch the Snapshot WA reel.
Find out more on the Snapshot WA page.