This submission by Families Australia, in collaboration with the National Coalition on Child Safety and Wellbeing, responds to the Australian Government’s consultation on the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032. It focuses on ensuring children and young people are recognised and supported as victim-survivors of violence in their own right.

The submission highlights that children and young people experience family and domestic violence in ways that are distinct from adults and require child-specific prevention, early intervention, response and recovery services. It argues that current systems too often rely on parents to access support on behalf of children, leaving many children – particularly those in out-of-home care or without a trusted adult – unable to receive the help they need.

Families Australia also notes that the First Action Plan largely subsumed children’s experiences into adult-focused policies, services and reporting, limiting the visibility of children’s needs and outcomes. The submission calls for child-specific actions, measures and accountability mechanisms that recognise children and young people as victim-survivors and ensure their experiences are reflected in policy, data collection, service design and evaluation.

The submission recommends strengthening prevention by addressing the underlying drivers of violence, improving access to child-centred assessments, safety planning and dedicated supports, and ensuring parents and families can access services that reduce the risk of family violence and child maltreatment. It also calls for children and young people to be meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them and in the design and evaluation of services intended to support their safety, recovery and wellbeing.