12,600 Australian children miss out on education each year because of paperwork

Each year (on average) 12,600 Australian children may be missing out on early childhood education and care (ECEC) because they do not have a birth certificate, according to a new report by UNICEF Australia.

 

The ‘Certify Hope: Rights from the Start’ report is the first-time unregistered births have been measured and analysed nationally, with the resulting data indicating some young children could be missing out on the foundations of early development because their births are not registered in time.

 

“Making sure young children get early education and care is one of the most effective ways to ensure they develop and thrive in the future,” UNICEF Australia’s Head of Policy and Advocacy Katie Maskiell said.

 

“Unfortunately for some children, not having a birth certificate is a barrier to early education and care, as a birth certificate is normally needed to enrol in these programs.”

 

For many of the children impacted by the lack of a birth certificate there are other factors of disadvantage at play, and not having a birth certificate can keep creating barriers and exacerbate disadvantage into the future. 

 

“Taking the simple step of making sure every Australian child has a birth certificate will ensure families have better access to services and supports they may need,” Ms Maskiell said. 

 

UNICEF Australia is calling on the Federal Government to ensure the birth registration of every child in Australia. 

 

This includes asking the Government to collaborate with States and Territories to make birth certificates more affordable, and ensure there are adequate supports for parents to fulfill the birth registration requirements, which is important for families who may already be under strain.

 

Birth certificates cost between $50-$70 per child depending on the State or Territory in which they are registered, and the requirements for registration sometimes cause difficulty for parents who are separated, who do not hold enough identification themselves, and for those who have become informal kinship guardians.

 

The fee for birth certificates is especially hard for those already struggling with the cost of living while trying to support and feed a young family. The expense of a birth certificate can be out of reach due to cost, but becomes an ongoing difficulty as the children grow and need a birth certificate to fully participate in society.

 

According to the report, children most impacted were:

 

• Living in remote or disadvantaged areas

 

• Babies in remote or disadvantaged areas were around three times more likely than other children to not have their birth registered in the first year of life (10.9 per cent compared to 3.8 per cent)
• When combined, these factors impacted around 1 in 5 children (19.3 per cent) whose births were not registered before their first birthday

 

• Born to mothers under 25 years of age

 

• These babies were almost four times more likely to not be registered before their first birthday (11.8 per cent), than babies to older mothers
• More than 1 in 5 babies (20.7 per cent) born in remote areas to young mothers did not have their births registered before their first birthday

 

• Indigenous

 

• 17 per cent of Indigenous births were not registered before their first birthday
• This figure increased to impact more than 1 in 5 Indigenous babies when combined with other factors such as living in a remote (22 per cent) or disadvantaged (21 per cent) area

 

Over the past 18 months, UNICEF Australia has been speaking with families impacted by this issue, with its partner Pathfinders at National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program events where people can seek assistance to access their birth certificate.

 

Monique, a mother living in Logan, Queensland, is one of the parents who has been impacted by the complexities of registering her child’s birth, held back because she did not have her children’s father’s identification documents or her own birth certificate. 

 

“It’s been a real struggle to get any of their birth certificates and it’s held us back with childcare,” she said. 

 

“I haven’t been able to get my son into most of our local early education centres and my youngest daughter has been unable to attend one too. To be able to get a birth certificate, you need a birth certificate, which is a bit complicated.”

 

Fellow Queensland mother Tegan said it was a cost issue for her family. 

“$54 for a birth certificate…when I’ve got five kids to feed…that’s one meal for them, gone on something that I can’t generally afford, but I need it…”.

 

For Ms Maskiell each of these stories highlight the challenges families face, which are being made worse by the rising cost of living. 

 

“UNICEF believes every baby born has the right to basic identity information and the opportunity for early learning, and this must be affordable for every family,” she said.

 

“We know the cost of living is exacerbating disadvantage in Australia at the moment and we cannot let children continue to bear this cost throughout their lives.

 

“The Report shows affordable birth certificates and better support services for parents who need them can make a difference in setting Australian children up to thrive.” 

Access the full report here.