7 September 2026
National Child Protection Week runs from 6 to 12 September, under the national theme Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action.
Minister for Child Protection Robyn Cahill has encouraged all Territorians to look out for the children around them and to act on their concerns, not just talk about them.
The Minister said keeping children safe was a shared responsibility, and in the Territory, it is also the law, with mandatory reporting requiring anyone who suspects a child is being harmed to report it.
Minister for Child Protection Robyn Cahill has marked National Child Protection Week by reminding Territorians that protecting children is everyone's business, not just the job of government.
This year's national theme, Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action, recognises that talking about child safety is only the first step, and that what counts is what happens next.
Minister Cahill said it was a message every Territorian could take to heart.
"We look out for the kids in our own lives without thinking twice. It is harder when it is someone else's child, a neighbour's kid who seems to be struggling, and too often the instinct is that it is not our business," Minister Cahill said.
"But child protection is all of our business. A quiet word, a phone call or a check-in can be the thing that changes a child's path, and children are safest when the adults around them are paying attention."
Minister Cahill said the Government was backing that community effort with a stronger focus on early support for families.
"We know the best way to keep children safe is to help families before they reach breaking point, and that is where we are putting our effort," she said.
"There is more work to do, and we are getting on with it. We are reforming the way the system supports children and families in the Territory, and we are doing it alongside the communities and organisations who know their kids best."
In the Northern Territory, reporting is not only the right thing to do, it is the law. Under the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007, anyone who believes a child has been, or is likely to be, harmed must report it. You do not need proof, only a reasonable belief, and reports made in good faith are protected under the law.
Territorians worried about a child's safety can call the child protection reporting line on 1800 700 250, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or report online through CARE Services at careservices.nt.gov.au. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000 and ask for police.
