This Insights paper features a summary of Australian research, analysis and updates released in February 2026 about child and family wellbeing.
Topics in this paper include findings from the 2026 Report on Government Services on child protection and youth justice, alongside evidence-based prevention approaches such as Communities That Care. It also summarises research on improving mental health outcomes for children in out-of-home care, the prevalence and prevention of child sexual abuse in institutional settings, and the relationship between poverty, family factors, and child abuse and neglect. Further insights cover Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people’s access to healthcare in southeast Queensland, prenatal substance exposure and later child protection involvement, challenges in reunification, and emerging evidence on self-harm and suicide among justice-involved young people.