Child poverty reduction and wellbeing legislation

The purpose of recent child poverty reduction and wellbeing legislation is to encourage a Government focus on child poverty reduction specifically, and child wellbeing more generally.

The Child Poverty Reduction Act
Children’s Amendment Act 2018
More information
 

This significant legislation was passed into law on 20 December 2018 with near unanimous parliamentary support. The Child Poverty Reduction Bill (which was divided into two bills at its final reading) became the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 and the Children’s Amendment Act 2018, helping to ensure enduring commitment to reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing.

The Child Poverty Reduction Act

The Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 requires the government of the day to:

• set long-term (10-year) and intermediate (3-year) targets on a defined set of child poverty measures
• report annually on the set of child poverty measures
• report each Budget day on how the Budget will reduce child poverty and how the government is progressing towards its targets
• report on child poverty related indicators.

See the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.

Find out more about the measures, targets, indicators and reporting requirements.

Children’s Amendment Act 2018

Amendments to the Children’s Act (2014) require successive governments to develop and publish a strategy to improve the wellbeing of all children and young people, with a particular focus on child poverty and those with greater needs.

It will set out the desired outcomes for our children and young people and the actions to achieve them.  It will also clearly outline how progress can be measured and reported on so that we can all see the difference being made and where more work might be needed.

See the Children's Amendment Act 2018.

Find out more about the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.

More information

The Child Poverty Reduction Bill's page on Parliament's website includes a link to the Bill itself, Supplementary Order Papers and a timeline of its progress through the House and Select Committee process.

Child Poverty Reduction Bill documents include a number of background documents related to the Child Poverty Reduction legislation, including the setting of child poverty reduction targets.