Food, shelter, education, and all other trappings of a child’s healthy development can be costly. Despite these being essential for young people, not every child has a family that can afford the support they need, this is what the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 26 is all about. This critical piece of legislation ensures that every child has the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance, providing a safety net that can catch families and children in their most vulnerable moments.
The core of UNCRC Article 26
Article 26 is all about making sure kids have what they need to grow up happy and healthy, free from the harsh reality of economic instability and poverty. It means they should get help when their families can't afford things like food, clothes, or a place to live. It's a commitment to ensuring every child has access to necessary resources for their development, regardless of their circumstances.
How does Article 26 aid children's well-being?
Article 26 serves as a guiding principle for governments and organisations like Save the Children to develop and implement programs that directly impact children's lives. By providing social and economic assistance, they have improved living conditions, better health outcomes, and educational opportunities – crucial elements in the holistic well-being of a child.
Alignment of social programs with Article 26
Article 26 directly obligates signatory governments to ensure children in their nation have access to a high standard of living regardless of their parent’s ability to provide for them. This includes social programs that directly provide money to the parents or even children in some instances and programs that provide access to necessary items and services like education, additional support in classrooms when required, daycare to free up parents to work, and healthcare for children and young people.
Unfortunately, many countries lack the infrastructure or means to provide for their children in this way or, even in countries with comprehensive social welfare, families struggling may not have the means to access welfare or know what’s available.
Save the Children Australia's programs, like Family Connect and Support in NSW, aim to address the shortcomings in Australia’s social welfare for families. These programs help families facing tough times connect to services that help with things like:
- Parenting challenges
- Financial stress
- Substance abuse
- Family breakdown
- Housing issues
- Mental health
- Domestic and family violence
What economic assistance does Article 26 include?
Economic help is a big part of Article 26 and often takes the form in Western countries of parents living below the poverty line having access to payments based on the size of their family. As not every country has the resources or infrastructure to provide all families with the resources they need, Groups like Save the Children are key to making Article 26 work.
Save the Children Australia's Cash and Voucher Assistance program is a great example of Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) helping families in need. This program gives families in crisis money or vouchers in a needs-based manner. This lets families choose what they need most and we’ve found it to be one of the most effective and efficient ways to respectfully support families after disasters as well as the local economy when they use the money.
Help us support children’s right to welfare
You have the power to change lives, to lift children out of poverty, and to offer them a future filled with hope. By donating to Save the Children Australia you are actively participating in building a world that respects and nurtures the potential of every child.