State Budget 2025/26 Budget: What’s in it for Children and Young People?

Things we love for children

• A WA Play Strategy!!
• After decades of advocacy from Play Matters Collective, the newly (also great) established Office of Early Childhood will develop WA’s first Play Strategy.
• $28.5, over the four years to increase School Breakfast Program two to five days for current schools and expand the program to 670 sites.
  • Our figures show that 15% of Western Australian children are experiencing poverty, many going to school hungry. This is an excellent interim measure while we work towards legislating an End to Child Poverty across the nation, so no child is left behind.
• Ngala funding
  • This is the very definition of health prevention and very welcome.
• Kids Access All Areas Pass - $50 each child.
  • We also love this! However, it’s only for 50,000 kids and there are 650,000 (100,000 living in poverty) kids in WA. It’s not clear who will be eligible for the pass.
• $1.2million for ADHDWA
  • Children waiting for diagnosis on the public waiting list will need this support. Let’s hope there is more to come!

Young people:

• $8.1 million over 3 years for FDV Support for Children and Young People
• Kununurra Night Space
• Youth Hub at Marra Wurra Wurra in Fitzroy
• Newman Youth and Community Hub
• Free transport for students – Brilliant but only if you carry your student ID with you (even if you’re in your school uniform).

Watch and see

• $16.9m Expanding Year Four Kindy
  • Starting in 2027 and in 10 locations
  • The WA Play Strategy will work to make sure children are offered play based learning in kindy.

Opportunities missed

• Child and family hubs – We continue to call for an expansion of the Child and Parent Centre model into more communities across WA
• Kidsport Vouchers were dropped down to $300 per child (See article above).
• A Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy!

Read the WACOSS detailed report here: Children & Families