Children’s mental health is the foundation for learning, friendship, confidence and safety
When children have timely, practical child mental wellbeing support, they’re better able to cope with change, stay engaged at school and build hopeful pathways. Our programs focus on early intervention for mental health, so children can recover, reconnect and thrive.
Why mental health matters for children
Strong mental health in childhood underpins language, play and relationships: the building blocks of mental health and child development. When a child feels safe and supported, the benefits show up in the classroom, on the playground, and at home. Our approach centres children and their families, pairing practical help with consistent, strengths-based support so gains last beyond a single school term or service referral.
Challenges children face to their mental wellbeing
Too many students disengage before they finish school, often due to anxiety, family stress or disrupted routines. In Australia, around 38,000 students do not complete Year 12 each year. Some of the barriers to success include:
- School disengagement: When students fall behind or feel disconnected, anxiety and low confidence can spiral. Hands on Learning strengthens relationships and re-engagement, with measurable improvements in attendance, wellbeing and positive post-school pathways across a large school network.
- Stigma and access: Stigma can stop families from asking for help. We work through trusted relationships at school and via outreach at home, offering practical, non-judgemental support that focuses on what families want to change. Clear referral pathways make it easier to get the right help at the right time.
- Complex needs: Children’s mental health concerns rarely exist in isolation. Instability in housing, exposure to family and domestic violence, and caregiver stress all affect a child’s wellbeing. Intensive Family Support addresses these drivers together, with regular check-ins and flexible, family-led goals.
How Save the Children supports children’s mental health
Evidence from our Hands on Learning program operating in more than 130 schools shows that practical, relationship-based support improves wellbeing, attendance and engagement, helping to keep students connected to learning.
Parents reported strong gains in confidence and school engagement, and in 2021, 95% of participants progressed to positive pathways. These results show why children’s mental health must be addressed early and consistently.
Practical support at school
Through Hands on Learning, we create safe, predictable spaces where students build skills together, develop friendships and experience success – conditions that strengthen mental health in childhood. The model complements classroom learning and reduces the risk factors that can lead to disengagement.
Family-centred help at home
Many children need steady support beyond school hours. 54 reasons’ Intensive Family Support Service provides culturally sensitive, outreach-based, weekly support with a case plan for up to 12 months. Practitioners work alongside families on the issues that can undermine children’s wellbeing, such as housing instability, family and domestic violence, mental health, alcohol and other drugs, and disability, so that children feel safer and more connected at home.
Joined-up pathways
Our teams coordinate with schools, health services and specialist providers, creating clear referral routes, so families don’t have to navigate complex systems alone. This integrated approach to psychological support for kids reduces stress on caregivers and keeps help consistent – a key to sustained improvements in children’s mental health.
Trauma doesn’t define a child, but the support does
Children can and do recover from tough experiences when trusted adults show up consistently with the right tools. Our practitioners use trauma-aware, strengths-based methods: predictable routines, practical skill-building, and positive relationships at school and at home.
In Hands on Learning groups, students practice collaboration and self-efficacy; in family services, case plans reduce immediate stressors (like unsafe housing or financial pressure) that fuel anxiety. Together, these supports form a pathway for children: from trauma recovery to renewed engagement and confidence.
Every child deserves to feel safe, supported and strong
Our commitment is simple: put children at the centre and remove barriers around them. For some families, that means regular home visits and help coordinating services; for others it means an on-campus program that restores a sense of achievement and belonging. Across all contexts, we pursue a child-safe, culturally responsive approach so Save the Children mental health supports are respectful, accessible and effective for the children who need them most.
How your support helps children recover and thrive
Supporting Save the Children trauma recovery programs and practical, child-centred help is a great way to help ensure children can thrive. Making a donation can help keep kids connected to school, expand programs like Hands on Learning, fuel early intervention for mental health, strengthen psychological support for kids, and help every child feel safe, supported and strong.
Children’s mental health needs to be a community priority. With the right support at school and at home, children can recover from tough experiences, rebuild confidence and step into their futures. Together, we can make sure every child feels safe, supported and strong, and has the chance to thrive.