His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd)
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Children’s Week 2022 – 22 to 30 October
Children’s Week is a reminder to all of us that every week- indeed, every day- is a time to celebrate and to nurture and love our children. This year, as I put pen to paper, I am infused with much joy as Linda and I have recently become grandparents for the third time.
The theme of Children’s Week 2022, ‘All children have the right to a standard of living that supports their healthy development and wellbeing’, reflects the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 27. The theme is particularly apt because it focuses on wellbeing, an issue that has figured prominently in the national conversation over the last 12 months.
The theme reminds us that children are not immune to the compounding impacts of the pandemic and natural disasters. It is incumbent on all carers of children to closely monitor not only their child’s wellbeing but also their own. I commend the Children’s Week Council of Australia and its affiliates for organising a range of activities and events around the country that focus on the early years, including a free national podcast with experts from the mental health sector.
Notwithstanding the pressures that many Australians are under at the present time, it is important that we make time to celebrate Children’s Week. Whether as a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent, or as a relative or friend, our children continue to surprise, amaze and bring immense joy to our lives.
