Young voices take centre stage during Children's Week WA

As Western Australia celebrates Children’s Week 2026, the Commissioner for Children and Young People has released the findings of this year’s metropolitan Listening Tour, capturing the voices of more than 200 children and young people from 17 schools across Perth.

The Listening Tour explored both the issues affecting children and young people’s everyday lives and their understanding of children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

This year’s Children’s Week theme is based on Article 30 of the UNCRC, which recognises every child’s right to use their own language, celebrate their culture and practise their religion. The theme reinforces the importance of ensuring all children and young people feel valued, respected, included and connected to their identity, culture and community.

Throughout the Listening Tour, children and young people learned about their rights and reflected on how those rights apply to their own lives. They discussed the issues that matter most to them, including education, mental health and wellbeing, safety, inclusion, access to opportunities and having a genuine say in decisions that affect them.

The report found young people consistently want their views to be heard, respected and acted upon.

It identified several key themes, including children’s concerns about health and mental wellbeing, education, safety, inclusion, access to opportunities and the importance of understanding and promoting children’s rights. Participants highlighted the need for accessible mental health support, safer communities, more engaging education, and greater opportunities to have a say on issues affecting their lives.

Many of the young people spoke passionately about fairness, respect and being treated as partners in decisions rather than passive recipients of services. They also emphasised the importance of being asked what they think, feeling safe to raise concerns and having confidence that adults will listen and respond.

The findings build on the Commissioner’s broader engagement work and reinforce the importance of a child-centred, rights-based approach across government, schools, services and communities. The publication calls for greater investment in youth participation, mental health support, community safety initiatives and awareness of children’s rights.

Read the Metro Listening Tour 2026 findings

Comment from the Commissioner

“Children’s Week reminds us that every child has the right to be heard and to participate in decisions that affect them.

“The Listening Tour findings demonstrate that when we create safe opportunities for children and young people to speak, they offer thoughtful, practical and often powerful ideas about how we can improve their lives and communities.

“One of the strongest messages from children and young people was that they want more than consultation.

“They want meaningful participation. They want adults to listen, take them seriously and act on what they tell us.

“Children’s Week is a celebration of childhood, but it is also a call to action. If we genuinely want policies, services and communities that work for children and young people, we must listen to them, respect their rights and include them in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.”

Dr Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA

Media contact

Megan Sadler
Phone: 0434 327 804
Email: megan.sadler@ccyp.wa.gov.au