National Child and Youth Mental Health Priorities

Mental Health Australia has developed a Statement on National Child and Youth Mental Health Priorities to inform the June 2025 Health and Mental Health Ministers meeting.

The advice in this Statement was developed in consultation with members, along with review of recommendations of previous inquiries, strategies and research. 

The Statement outlines specific specific recommendations for Health and Mental Health Ministers, as the next immediate steps to commit to at their meeting to improve child and youth mental health:

1. Integrate mental health in education
2. Expand and integrate Kids Hubs
3. Boost national digital mental health supports for children and parents
4. Increase workforce capacity to support infant and child mental health
5. Harmonise age ranges for youth mental health services 
6. Reduce wait times for child and youth mental health supports  

Children and young people in Australia are experiencing mental ill-health at never-before seen levels, yet many are unable to access support. Australian governments need to work together to develop an holistic system of mental health supports for infants, children and families across the spectrum of promotion, prevention, early and specialist support, informed by both the needs and experiences of children and their families and population data. While this meeting is focused on actions through health portfolios, it is also important to recognise the need for whole of government action to address declining rates of mental health amongst children and young people.