• defining core child protection services as essential and ensure that they remain functioning and available, including home visits when necessary, and provide professional mental health services for children living in lockdown (articles 5, 9,19) • protecting children whose vulnerability is further increased by the exceptional circumstances caused by the pandemic (articles 9, 10, 22, 23, 26, 27, 30, 37, 39) • releasing children in all forms of detention, whenever possible, and providing children who cannot be released with the means to maintain regular contact with their families (article 37) • preventing the arrest or detention of children for violating State guidance and directives relating to COVID-19 (articles 37, 40) • disseminating accurate information about COVID-19 and how to prevent infection in languages and formats that are childfriendly and accessible to all children (article 17) • providing opportunities for children’s views to be heard and taken into account in decision-making processes on the pandemic (article 12).3 With this urgency in mind, Kids Helpline and the Australian Human Rights Commission have come together to examine the main COVID-19 concerns that children and young people raised with Kids Helpline counsellors between January and the end of April 2020. Many of their concerns reflect the concerns articulated by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason. The impacts of COVID-19 and the restrictions on children and young people can be seen in the increased contacts made to Kids Helpline since the pandemic first struck. During the months of January to the end of April 2020, Kids Helpline responded to 26,709 counselling contacts compared to 23,920 in the same period in 2019. This is a percentage increase of 12% (2,789 contacts). In this collaboration, we focus on the types of COVID-19 related concerns that are specifically raised by children and young people with Kids Helpline. These fall under some main themes, including mental health concerns, social isolation, education impacts and impacts on family life, among others. These issues are reflected in other reports on COVID-19 impacts, some of which are referred to in this report. We hope that insight into children and young people’s concerns can be used to guide the types of supports that are offered to them, as well as the types of supports that will be necessary in the recovery phase to come. Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline • 2020 • 5