Social Policy

In the three weeks since the alleged murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby in Alice Springs, the NT's child protection system has come under intense scrutiny. Now, former child protection workers are speaking out about why they believe the system is broken.

Amid soaring prices and rising levels of energy hardship, the regulator wants to strengthen the protections for vulnerable customers. 

Services Australia has known it was not fully complying with new child support laws since 2019, according to a scathing report released by the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

Residential care is often a last resort for society's most vulnerable children, but being raised by a "system" can leave both physical and emotional scars. It's why those who have gone through it are asking for their voices to be included to reform it.

An Australian teenager has created a video diary documenting their experiences on the morning of the world-first social media ban. 

With Australia's fertility rate at a new low and concerns about its economic impact on the future, the former treasurer behind the early 2000s baby boom says all options should be on the table to encourage more children.

Fugitives wanted for some of the most serious crimes and sexual offences could soon be stripped of their welfare payments.

The decision by past governments to push Australia's childcare industry in the direction of marketisation and corporatisation has left a lasting legacy.

Decades after Wadeye's last licensed social club was smashed to pieces amid a storm of controversy, locals will soon be able to have an after-work drink again.

In 2020, Australia massively increased welfare payments and conducted a live experiment in ending poverty, but when the subsidy was removed, many were thrown back into hardship. Leaving aside the moral dimension, would it be cheaper to end poverty than to maintain it?

We get detailed measurements of population, participation and productivity. Advocates want to add a fourth "p" — poverty — so we can understand our economy.

LGBTIQA+ advocates are concerned the social media ban will have a significant impact on queer youth in regional and remote areas of Australia. They say there are not enough offline, physical supports for these teens to access when the ban comes into effect. 

The key election commitment of President Prabowo Subianto is facing mounting backlash over its poor oversight, questionable food sourcing and unhygienic kitchens.

Researchers have identified the nine priority areas for social housing builds in Sydney — but there are concerns the Not In My Backyard movement could prove a challenge in community sentiment towards new developments.

Beijing has announced a nationwide childcare subsidy policy to try and encourage people to have more children, but experts are not convinced the strategy will work.

Moved by stories of homelessness, a Tasmanian couple has taken it upon themselves to offer a solution to the state's housing crisis.

Homelessness has risen to the "worst levels in living memory" in the first term of the Albanese government, advocacy groups warn, as the government grapples with advice that housing targets will not be met.

Police in China are arresting female authors of homosexual romance novels, in a widespread crackdown on the "boys love" fiction genre.

A Commonwealth Ombudsman's investigation finds Australia's child support system has been weaponised by financial abuse that is "amplified" by Services Australia. 

As Australians head to the ballot box, the lack of affordable housing is posing a major issue for many. But the debate about how to constrain prices remains a sore point because millions are home owners and many have built their wealth through property.