At the beginning of August, the Minister for Youth, the Hon. Rose Jackson, MLC, and I launched the Office for Youth at Parliament House.
The event was attended by over 90 young people, Members of Parliament senior leaders and decision makers from both government and non-government organisations. Social media influencer Milly Bannister emceed the event. We are excited to begin this new chapter for the young people of NSW and cannot wait to hear what they tell us they need to succeed.
Over the coming months the team will work with young people to ensure they are heard in the policy, practice and processes of this Office, and that the Office focuses on issues that matter to them and outcomes that will be positive for young people.
Read on to catch-up on our work from the last few months, as well as events and initiatives we have coming up.
This week, the Advocate launched the evaluation report of the NSW Strategic Plan for Children and Young People 2022–24.
The Plan was designed to capture what was important to children and young people, advocacy actions and cross-government initiatives under six core commitments: hope for the future, love connection and safety, health and wellbeing, respect and acceptance, a good standard of living and environments for joy and fun.
This was a bold and hopeful Plan. Putting young people’s voices at the heart of everything we do is not just a principle, it’s our practice. This evaluation shows that when young people are listened to and respected, real change is possible.
The Advocate’s most significant work under the Plan has seen a record investment in children and young people by Government, including a $1.2 billion investment into child protection announced in the recent budget. Other initiatives include leading youth-informed responses to issues such as vaping, cost-of-living pressures, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and disaster recovery.
The Advocate is required, in accordance with the Act, ‘to make recommendations to government and non-government agencies on legislation, reports, policies, practices, procedures and services affecting children and young people’.
The recommendations made in briefings, submissions and reports are informed by children and young people, and the work of the Office in consultations, polling and research.
Below is an outline of the submissions that the Advocate made to parliamentary inquiries over the last few months:
At the beginning of August, the Advocate had the privilege of attending the Office for Youth launch at Parliament House.
The best part of the evening was seeing the young people that helped create the Office by sharing their thoughts and opinions, attend the night and celebrate the beginning of something new and exciting.
Check out some photos from the Office for Youth launch event and follow us on our socials to stay updated.
At last year’s NSW Youth Summit, young people from across the state made one thing clear: government engagement with them is not working. The NSW Office for Youth will rebuild the way the government interacts with young people across NSW. Bringing together the Office for Regional Youth, the Office of the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People the Office will be led by the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, working directly with the Minister for Youth, the Hon. Rose Jackson, MLC.
The Office for Youth connects young people across NSW with the people in government who make big decisions. This means no more scattered approaches or disconnected conversations- just one central place dedicated to ensuring young people are heard, respected, and driving real change about the issues that impact them.
The Office’s headquarters is located in Redfern, with regional connections all across NSW. This office exists to make sure young people are heard, not just talked about.
Young people aged 12 to 25 in NSW have a wealth of diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. Through the Your Voice, Our Future consultation, the NSW Government engaged with 4,558 young people, including 999 survey respondents and 193 workshop participants.
Young people spoke about issues like cost of living, mental health, vaping, housing, and climate change, and called for greater inclusion in decision-making, especially for those facing barriers to participation.
However, the overwhelming message was clear: young people want to be actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. In response, the NSW Office for Youth was established, creating a direct link between young people and government.
Download the full report to learn more about what the young people told us.
In July and August, the team consulted with students from Auburn North Public School, Meadows Public School, Lambton High School and Temora Public and High School to learn about their experiences of inclusion, acceptance, and support in schools.
The Office is working with the NSW Department of Education to hear from children and young people across NSW about their experiences of inclusion, acceptance, and support in schools.
During these visits, students shared their feelings about belonging at school, including what helps them feel included and what makes it harder to feel part of the school community. These consultations provide children and young people with an opportunity to express their views and experiences of school life.
Their feedback will inform recommendations to create more inclusive and supportive school environments.
Earlier this year the team delivered free, two-day training events in Queanbeyan, Armidale and Lake Macquarie to support the youth sector in upskilling their knowledge and practice and embed the NSW Youth Work Code of Ethics into their service delivery models.
The training was well received by the participants with strong engagement in the post-training debrief sessions. The post-training debrief sessions assist the Office in developing content to support youth service providers in implementing best practice models.
Young people deserve high quality service provision and supporting the sector to work from a professionalised model supports this goal.
A new Suburban University Study Hub has opened in Macquarie Fields, bringing university closer for students in Sydney’s south-west suburbs. The evidence shows that where Study Hubs are, university participation goes up.
The Study Hub in Macquarie Fields will offer support services and study facilities for local students enrolled at any university or Vocational Education and Training provider.
Last week the team attended a ‘Grow the Future’ annual youth sector networking event. ‘Grow the Future’ is a youth training and education program and social enterprise based in the Bega Valley.
‘Grow the Future’ participants hosted the event and talked about their vision for the future of the farm and program. Attendees were taken on a tour to provide information about the food they are growing and animals they are nurturing.
The organisation provides RTO-certified training and career pathways to young people in the fields of food sustainability and land regeneration. Programs include training courses, career pathways and farm-gate produce markets for young people.
Organisations and young people aged 15–20 from Tamworth and surrounding areas are invited to take part in ‘Connect and Thrive’ Pathways on Tuesday, 16 September 2025.
It is a full-day event designed to build leadership skills, boost confidence, and create meaningful local connections.
Hosted by the NSW Office for Youth, this event responds directly to feedback from young people across the state who asked for more face-to-face opportunities to engage, learn and lead in their communities.
The program includes:
Local organisations are also encouraged to register and showcase opportunities for young people to get involved. This is a chance to connect with the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
If you would like a ‘Connect and Thrive’ event in your community, please reach out to us at info@officeforyouth.nsw.gov.au
First Nations children and young people are using the internet in powerful, positive and creative ways.
However, research shows they are also more likely to encounter online harms, like hate speech and cyberbullying. These negative online experiences can have deep impacts that lead to impaired mental health, perceived reputational damage and lower grades at school.
The eSafety Comissioner’s resources support parents and carers yarning with their children and young people about online safety, tackling things like:
Check out the guides and fact sheets, yarning cards and videos.
On Friday, 29 August, ‘Wear It Purple Day’ will unite LGBTQIA+ young people and allies to shine a light on the thousands of schools, community organisations, universities, and workplaces that are coming together to create a more inclusive future for all Australians.
By wearing purple, Australians demonstrate to rainbow young people that they are celebrated and respected, acknowledging all have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming.
This year’s theme is Bold Voices, Bright Futures, with artwork by Lee Evatt (he/them), winner of Wear It Purple’s Youth Action Council (YAC) Design Competition. Lee created a campaign message and artwork in celebration of LGBTQIA+ people openly and visibly achieving their dreams in sport, art, science and more.
Visit Wear it Purple Day for more information including resources.
Receive updates and invitations from the Advocate
We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the First Nations Peoples of NSW and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future.
Informed by lessons of the past, ACYP is improving how we work with Aboriginal people and communities. We listen and learn from the knowledge, strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors, Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal communities.