Executive summary Recommendations What did we do? We surveyed children aged 9–17 years and parents/guardians and grandparents of children in this age group. Children, and parents/guardians and grandparents across Australia were invited by the NCC to respond to an online survey. 4,559 children aged 9–17 years, and 2,796 parents/ guardians and grandparents provided survey responses. In addition, stakeholders from seven key service providers that provide mental health support for children were interviewed prior to the survey being undertaken. Also, two roundtables with key stakeholders, including young people, were held at the conclusion of the project to test the interpretation of key findings, and discuss them. What did we find out? Children across Australia experienced the pandemic in different ways, with variations in experiences of restrictions and levels of community infections across states and territories. Many of the 4,559 children who participated in the survey reported that the pandemic had a negative impact on their wellbeing (41%), and at the time of the survey in early 2022, around one in five children reported that they were feeling more down, scared or worried than they used to. The lack of social engagement and contact with extended family and their friends was a key concern for children. Many also struggled with remote learning. Some children, and parents/guardians and grandparents reflected that the lessons learned through the pandemic were an opportunity to improve systems and supports for children overall. Around one in five children said that they had needed extra support for their mental health and wellbeing over the last two years. Children expressed a strong preference for inperson support rather than telehealth options when it was available, suggesting more work needs to be done to make telehealth offerings more child-friendly. 14 | Around a third of children and over half of parents/guardians and grandparents also felt that schools should offer more support for children’s mental health and wellbeing. Both children, and parents/guardians and grandparents asked for support for mental health and wellbeing to be built into daily activities and programs at schools rather than just having stand-alone sessions. Children, and parents/guardians and grandparents said there should be greater awareness and understanding of mental health in the community. Some children reflecting on the pandemic said they hoped it had increased awareness of mental health, would make it easier to speak about, and seek help when needed. Opportunities from our research The COVID-19 and kids’ wellbeing surveys have highlighted the importance of listening to children and ensuring their wellbeing is a priority for policy making. The pandemic, and the response to the pandemic, had significant impacts on the lives of children. Yet children and their families were not involved in guiding or giving real-time feedback on government responses. Children who responded to this survey have clear messages about how policies, systems and services can best support their needs. They seek more awareness and understanding of mental health, more integrated support systems that align with their daily lives (including through schools), and services that are accessible, affordable, inclusive, and designed to meet their needs. Continuing to check in with children in the implementation of the Response Plan is critical in understanding how well their needs are being met and ensuring they thrive. One opportunity for further exploration of system responses in relation to children during the pandemic would be to undertake a more extensive expert review of the impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic response on children as recommended by the Select Committee on COVID-19.2 This report includes eight high-level recommendations for meeting the mental health and wellbeing needs of children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The recommendations are based on key findings, including what children and families said about how better to support their mental health and wellbeing (see section 9.3), as well as interviews and two online roundtables with key stakeholders (see sections 2.3(c) and 2.3(h)). The recommendations seek to make systemic changes in our approach towards children’s mental health and wellbeing in Australia, both in emergency situations and in post-pandemic Australia. What emerges clearly from this work (and that of others) is that children’s mental health and wellbeing was already of significant concern in Australia well before the pandemic arrived. Each recommendation relates to the priority areas of the Response Plan,3 as well as to issues raised in sections of the report. These are both indicated in brackets following each recommendation. The recommendations are: 1. Australian governments work together to fully fund and implement the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (Priority Areas 1, 2, and 6 in the Response Plan) (See sections 8.3(a) and 9.3(b)) 4. Australian governments conduct child rights impact assessments as part of all policy and law decision-making processes that affect children’s wellbeing, including in emergency responses (Priority Areas 6 and 10 in the Response Plan) (See section 9.3(d)) 5. Australian governments fund evidencebased education programs in schools and community settings to improve the mental health and wellbeing literacy of children and caregivers, and increase understanding and awareness of mental health issues in the community (Priority Area 7 in the Response Plan) (See sections 4, 8.3(a) and 9.3(a)) 6. Australian governments pilot models of schooling that provide integrated and holistic mental health and wellbeing support, including by: a. co-locating health and family support services with schools where possible, or facilitating access to community-based services b. ensuring teachers receive training and support to address children’s wellbeing needs and collaborate with mental health experts where necessary c. ensuring trained mental health professionals are available and accessible to all in the school community, including students and their families (Priority Areas 1, 2, 3 and 6 in the Response Plan) (See sections 7.3, 8.7 and 9.3(c)) 2. The Australian Government seeks the views and experiences of children, young people and their families to inform the ongoing implementation and monitoring of the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan, including by direct engagement through interviews, forums and surveys (Priority Area 6 in the Response Plan) (See section 9.3(d)) 7. Australian governments make available free or affordable, place-based, holistic mental health services for children and their families, including in regional and remote areas (Priority Areas 1, 2, 3 and 6 in the Response Plan) (See sections 8.3(a) and 9.3(b)) 3. The Australian Government regularly collects national data on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people that can be used to inform policy and service delivery, and to monitor longterm trends in children’s mental health during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic (Priority Area 10 in the Response Plan) 8. Mental health services for children and families offer a range of delivery options to encourage greater uptake, including face-toface, child-friendly telehealth consultations, digital interventions, and phone helplines, where they are evaluated as providing positive outcomes (Priority Areas 1, 2, 3 and 6 in the Response Plan) (See section 8.5) ‘Mental health shapes my life’: COVID-19 & kids’ wellbeing • 2022 | 15