Connecting The Nest with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Nest and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Working Together for Children’s Wellbeing

At ARACY, our work is grounded in the belief that every child and young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. The Nest – Australia’s national framework for child and youth wellbeing – provides a shared understanding of what children need to live a good life.

The Nest describes six interdependent domains of wellbeing: being loved and safe, having material basics, being healthy, learning, participating, and having a positive sense of identity and culture. Together, these domains create the conditions for every child to flourish.

Connecting The Nest to the UNCRC

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) shares this same vision. It sets out the rights that all children, everywhere, are entitled to – including the rights to health, education, safety, and participation.

Many of the UNCRC’s Articles align closely with The Nest’s wellbeing domains. For example, Article 6 recognises every child’s right to life, survival, and development. Under The Nest, a “full life” means being supported across all six domains – reflecting how wellbeing is holistic and interconnected.

While The Nest focuses on what children need to thrive, the UNCRC goes further to outline who is responsible for ensuring these needs are met and how this should happen. The Convention assigns responsibilities to governments, families, and organisations concerned with children, while also embedding broader human rights principles such as inclusion and non-discrimination.

Putting the Child at the Centre

The Nest takes a deliberately child-centred approach. It does not prescribe roles or governance arrangements but instead keeps the focus on what each child requires for their wellbeing. This recognises that every child’s circumstances are unique, and that their needs can be supported in many different ways through families, communities, services, and systems.

Together, The Nest and the UNCRC provide a powerful, complementary foundation for improving the wellbeing of children and young people in Australia. The Nest helps us understand what a good life looks like from the child’s perspective, while the UNCRC reminds us of our collective responsibility to make that vision a reality.