The Queensland Child Rights Report details the state of children’s rights in Queensland.
The topics explored in the report align with reporting tools used by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which regularly reviews the steps Australia has taken to enact the UNCRC.
The Queensland Child Rights Report 2025 is an independent, evidence-based assessment of how Queensland’s systems are protecting—or failing—children’s rights considering our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The report examines key areas, including child safety, youth justice, health, education, cultural connection and youth participation.
This year’s report found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people remain dramatically over-represented in Queensland’s child protection and youth justice systems, despite years of reform commitments, and it warns that current policies and inaction on key priority areas are worsening entrenched inequity for children and young people.
The report also identifies gaps in data collection on violence against children, inadequate independent oversight of permanency decisions for First Nations children, and ongoing inequities in housing, health, mental health, education and school disciplinary practices.
A dedicated spotlight chapter, Gathering Strength, was developed in partnership with the Bandarran Marra’gu Youth Collective, which centres the lived experiences, leadership and cultural knowledge of First Nations young people.
The Commissioner is renewing call for a Children’s Plan for Queensland — a whole-of-government framework aligning policy, investment and accountability across agencies to embed children’s rights in every decision affecting their lives. Without coordination across government portfolios, systemic change will remain out of reach.
Learn more about our Blueprint: A Children’s Plan for Queensland here.