Sector Insights January 2026

This Insights paper features a summary of Australian research, analysis and updates released in January 2026 about child and family wellbeing.

Topics in this paper include early intervention and mandatory reporting in child protection, youth detention data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and 2024–25 annual reports from the Childrens Court of Queensland and the Office of the Public Guardian. It also summarises updates to the National strategy to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse, research on the costs of child maltreatment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perinatal care and child protection, findings from the NSW Child Death Review Team, and international reporting on foster care trends.