10 September 2024 – Every year on average 12,600 Australian children may be missing out on early childhood education and care because they do not have a birth certificate, according to a report by UNICEF Australia.
The ‘Certify Hope: Rights from the Start’ report is the first-time unregistered births have been measured and analysed nationally. The data indicates some young children could be missing out on the foundations of early development because their births are not registered in time.
UNICEF Australia’s Head of Policy and Advocacy Katie Maskiell said, “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. 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.
"The data shows this includes some children who are already experiencing disadvantage, 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,” she 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 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% compared to 3.8%)
- When combined, these factors impacted around 1 in 5 children (19.3%) 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%), than babies to older mothers
- More than 1 in 5 babies (20.7%) born in remote areas to young mothers did not have their births registered before their first birthday
- Indigenous
- 17% 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%) or disadvantaged (21%) 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 from Logan in Queensland said it has been very challenging to get her children’s birth certificate 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. 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.”
Tegan, a mother from Stafford in Queensland said, “$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…”.
Ms Maskiell added, “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.
“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,” Ms Maskiell said.
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Notes to editors
- Data in this report is collected from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Births Deaths and Marriages for the period 2017-2022.
- Full report