Children need help to access justice for sexual abuse, family violence and so many other important, life-changing issues.

Every year an estimated 1.2 million children and young people in Australia have a legal problem.

The cost of the Government's failure to adequately fund support for these children is vast. Not only to the children themselves but to the economy.

Because children and young people who don't find a way to address their legal problems, are more likely to experience:

• homelessness
• violence and abuse
• poor education outcomes
• unemployment
• loss of income and financial strain
• mental and physical illness.  

The Australian Government needs to adequately fund the organisations that provide this help.

For 26 years, Youth Law Australia has provided children and young people across Australia with free, confidential legal advice and help so they can access justice. 

We're committed to helping any child or young person, with any legal problem, anywhere in Australia. The problems we help with include sexual abuse, bullying, family violence and online harassment, amongst others. And we’re proud to offer children a safe, confidential space to talk about their problems without feeling judged or exposed. 

YLA’s team is small – we have 2 to 3 full time lawyers at any given time. But thanks to our passionate volunteers and pro bono legal support from our partners, we operate a national legal service that helps more children under 18 than any other community legal centre in Australia.

But the Australian Government says they won't guarantee our funding after 30 June 2020.

The annual funding we receive from the Australian Attorney General has never been adequate to meet the demand for our service. But it is the lifeblood of our small, efficient team. 

Without the annual funding from the Attorney General, YLA will be forced to shut down after 30 June 2020.

We need sustainable, ongoing Government funding.

We need Government to #FundJusticeForChildrenNow.

Youth Law Australia needs the Prime Minister, Attorney General's Department and Treasurer to confirm funding for YLA beyond 2020.

We need the assurance of sustainable, ongoing funding to continue helping children and young people across Australia to access justice. 

Without annual government funding, YLA will be forced to cease operations after 30 June 2020, leaving an enormous gap in the provision of legal services to children and young people in Australia.

We need the Government to take their commitment to support children's rights seriously. They need to increase funding so we can increase the capacity of our front line services and help more children and young people who face serious problems with issues including homelessness, family violence, sexual abuse and harassment, image-based abuse online and bullying.

Even with the limited Government funding we've received in the past, we’re forced to turn away children and young people every year because we don’t have the resources to meet the immense need. But without it, we won’t be able to carry on at all.

Youth Law Australia's impact includes:

• We are the only state-wide community legal centre for children and young people in all Australian states, other than Victoria and Western Australia.
• Our early intervention in children’s matters prevents homelessness, violence, sexual abuse and online harms as well as other potentially dangerous outcomes.
• In 2019, we provided legal advice to 1,654 children and young people across the country.
• Our advocacy positively influences legislative and legal service reform to enhance children’s access to their rights and legal representation.

Without YLA, many children would not be able to access justice on important issues including sexual abuse, bullying, family violence and online harassment. 

Please sign this petition and urge the Australian Government to confirm sustainable funding for YLA and #FundJusticeForChildrenNow.