2 About the surveys SECTION 2.1 Timing of surveys The survey fieldwork commenced in early 2022, as most children were returning to school after the summer holidays. Across Australia, most of the pandemic restrictions on movement and social interactions had been lifted at this time, but the surge in cases from the Omicron wave continued to affect children’s return to school. In Queensland, the start of the 2022 school year was delayed by two weeks for students in kindergarten to year 10, while students in years 11 and 12 started on time but learned remotely for the first two weeks. In South Australia, the first two weeks of term 1 were by remote learning for students in years 2–6 and 9–11, while other students learned faceto-face. Return to face-to-face learning was not delayed in other states and territories, although COVID-19 measures were in place in schools, including mask mandates, rapid antigen testing, remote learning arrangements for children who needed to isolate, and ventilation in classrooms. Return to school in New South Wales and Victoria occurred after lengthy isolation periods and social distancing measures were in place intermittently throughout 2021. The children’s survey was developed to hear directly from children about their experiences of the pandemic and the challenges they faced. Parents/guardians and grandparents were also given the opportunity to provide their insights and experiences about the impacts of the pandemic on their children. Survey questions focused on: • what children understand about mental health and wellbeing • how children are currently feeling and whether this changed in the past two years • what worries and concerns children experienced in the past two years • what children have missed during the pandemic • how children felt about their safety at home during the pandemic • how confident children were to seek mental health help during the pandemic, and what were their preferred methods for seeking help • what barriers children experienced in terms of getting help, especially over the past two years • what ideas children have about improved supports for mental health and wellbeing 2.2 Focus of the surveys • Listening to children’s views and experiences, and taking those views into account is central to the work of the NCC. Children’s right to participate in decisions that affect them is one of the four guiding principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). what families and schools did to help children during the last two years • what concerns children have about returning to school • what helped children to stay feeling happy and hopeful during the last two years • what children feel optimistic about in the future. While the surveys focused on mental health and the pandemic, they were also conducted at a time of general unrest and uncertainty throughout Australia and the world, including challenging weather events such as bushfires and flooding, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These may have also affected the mental health of children, and parents/ guardians and grandparents responding to the surveys. 18 | Participation is also a key principle in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The enjoyment of this right is both protective and empowering for children. ‘Mental health shapes my life’: COVID-19 & kids’ wellbeing • 2022 | 19