About us
Save the Children Australia works with and for children in Australia, the Pacific and around the world, so they can survive, learn and be protected – and we champion their rights to shape the decisions that affect them.
As part of the world’s first and leading independent children’s organisation, we’ve been fearless for children since 1919.
Our story
Every child has rights. A century ago, that was a radical idea.
In 1919, months after the First World War had ended, children across Europe were still starving under a blockade that stopped food from reaching them. Teacher and sociologist Eglantyne Jebb refused to look away. She stood in London’s Trafalgar Square handing out leaflets showing starving children, and was arrested for it. She was found guilty of her protest, and fined – but the prosecutor was so moved by her cause that he paid the fine himself, making the very first donation to her work. That same month, Eglantyne founded Save the Children to reach every child in need – whichever side of conflict they were on.
At a time when women had only just won the right to vote, Eglantyne was a pioneer for child wellbeing, and revolutionised how society sees children.
Rights that changed the world
In 1923, Eglantyne wrote what she believed were the fundamental rights of every child. This powerful statement was adopted by the League of Nations in 1924 (forerunner to the United Nations [UN]) and now underpins the current UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. Its 54 articles set out every child’s right to survive, learn and grow, be protected, and be heard. Those rights are still the foundation of everything we do.
Where we work
In Australia
Our work in Australia is delivered through 54 reasons – a name the children and young people we work with helped to shape, inspired by the 54 articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Each year, we support more than 20,000 children, young people and caregivers through early learning, school engagement, family support, safety and youth justice programs. We work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, guided by our Reconciliation Action Plan, and we’re leading a national conversation about what children’s rights mean in everyday life.
In the Pacific
The Pacific is our neighbourhood, and home to some of the children most at-risk from the climate crisis. We work in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga, and alongside our colleagues in Fiji, to help children stay healthy, learn and be safe. With the Green Climate Fund and Pacific governments, we’re supporting communities in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands to lead their own climate adaptation – including the largest community-based adaptation project ever delivered in the Pacific. Throughout, we back local leadership, because Pacific communities know best what their children need.
Around the world
Save the Children works in more than 100 countries, with one name and one vision for children. Our international work spans countries in Africa, the Pacific, South East Asia, South Central Asia and the Middle East.
As part of the global movement, we respond fast when conflict, disaster and climate shocks put children in danger – and we partner with communities across Asia and beyond to build change that lasts long after the headlines fade.
A voice for every child
The safety, health and wellbeing on future generations depend on the decisions adults make today. We’re proud to bring children’s voices, experiences and ideas to decision-makers – in Australia and around the world – on the issues that matter to them, from online safety to the climate crisis.
Where we’re heading
Our 2025–2027 Strategy, Fearless for children, is our roadmap to a world where:
- no child dies of preventable causes before their fifth birthday
- every child has access to a quality education
- violence against children is never tolerated.
We’re also changing how we work – staying globally connected but more locally led, so the people closest to children and community are the ones leading change.
Stand with us
Everything we do is made possible by generous Australians, our corporate partners, trusts and foundations, and governments at every level. Thank you. Together, we can make every child’s rights real.
If you’d like to find out more you can get in touch; or if you’d like to volunteer, find out more here.