Commissioner for Children and Young People WA

What Commissioner for Children and Young People WA does

The Commissioner for Children and Young People WA (CCYPWA) is an independent statutory office of the Western Australian Government, established under the Commissioner for Children and Young People Act 2006 and operational since December 2007. The office advocates for the approximately 610,000 children and young people aged 0-17 in Western Australia, with statutory priority given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and those experiencing vulnerability. It reports directly to the WA Parliament and is overseen by a Joint Standing Committee, with current Commissioner Dr Jacqueline McGowan-Jones appointed for a five-year term from January 2022. Operations are delivered by approximately 17 FTE staff based at Albert Facey House in Perth, with regional reach across WA's vast geography including Wyndham, Roebourne, the Kimberley, Mid West, and South West.

Core products centre on longitudinal research and child voice capture. The flagship is the triennial Speaking Out Survey, described as the only state-wide survey in Australia tracking children's wellbeing over time, reaching more than 17,000 participants across 122 schools in 2025 (up from ~5,000 in 2019 and >16,500 in 2021). Supporting platforms include the Indicators of Wellbeing data resource structured across three age groups and three domains, the DigiMe avatar creator (3,200+ contributions in 2020-21) for capturing young people's views, the annual Profile of Children and Young People in WA demographic publication, and the Wellbeing Monitoring Framework. Resource programs include Child Safe Organisations WA and the Engaging with Aboriginal Children and Young People Toolkit. Engagement programs (Snapshot WA photography competition, advisory committees including Merredin College and Millennium Kids, Change Champions youth group, and regional visits) plus a complaints handling service complete the operational offering. The 'Hear Me Out' inquiry on youth detention at Banksia Hill and Unit 18 exemplifies the office's inquiry function.

CCYPWA is funded entirely through annual WA Government appropriations; no commercial revenue is generated and all services, publications, and resources are provided free of charge. Distribution is direct: reports tabled in State Parliament, partnerships with the Department of Communities, Department of Premier and Cabinet, the National Office for Child Safety, and three school sectors (Department of Education, Catholic Education WA, AISWA), and the office's Co-chair role in ANZCCGA extending influence nationally. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; operating budget is inferred to be in the low single-digit millions of AUD based on headcount benchmarks. Technology is functional rather than advanced: survey platforms, an avatar creator tool, and a data dashboard, with no AI/ML capability evidenced in the source material.

Name

Commissioner for Children and Young People WA

Legal name

Commissioner for Children and Young People WA

Website

https://ccyp.wa.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Commissioner for Children and Young People WA is an independent Western Australian statutory office that advocates for approximately 610,000 children and young people aged 0-17. It conducts the triennial Speaking Out Survey, publishes wellbeing data and policy resources, and reports directly to the WA Parliament.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Advocacy and Public Sector Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAK

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAGABAG

Child Protection & Child Rights

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYEDACAKAI

Incident Reporting, Risk Management & Mandatory Reporting Compliance

Education/Early Childhood Education/ECE Licensing, Compliance & Quality Rating Services

Keywords

• Child advocacy services
• Youth welfare research
• Children wellbeing monitoring
• Statutory government office
• Policy advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Commissioner for Children and Young People is a statutory office funded by the Western Australian Government. As a government agency, it receives annual budgetary allocation to carry out its functions under the Commissioner for Children and Young People Act 2006. No commercial revenue generation activities are undertaken.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Commissioner for Children and Young People WA is an independent statutory office that advocates for the rights, wellbeing, and safety of children and young people aged 0 to 17 in Western Australia. It conducts the triennial Speaking Out Survey (reaching more than 17,000 participants in 2025 across 122 schools), operates the DigiMe online avatar platform for children's voices, monitors child wellbeing through the Indicators of Wellbeing framework, produces the annual Profile of Children and Young People in WA, and provides child-safe organisation resources, Aboriginal engagement toolkits, complaints handling, policy submissions, and reports to the WA Parliament.

Product overview

Commissioner for Children and Young People WA operates as an independent statutory office advocating for children and young people aged 0-17 years in Western Australia. The core offering consists of research and survey programs (Speaking Out Survey conducted triennially, Indicators of Wellbeing data platform, Profile of Children and Young People annual demographic reports), participatory platforms (DigiMe avatar creator for children's voices), and policy resources (Child Safe Organisations WA framework, Engaging with Aboriginal Children and Young People Toolkit). The office also provides complaint handling services, sponsors youth awards, and publishes research reports including the Hear Me Out youth detention inquiry. All programs operate under the Commissioner for Children and Young People Act 2006.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speaking Out Survey A comprehensive, robust and representative survey of the wellbeing of children and young people in Western Australia, conducted triennially. It is the only state-wide survey in Australia tracking children's wellbeing over time, providing valuable longitudinal insights for government and non-government organisations to guide policies and programs.
• DigiMe An online avatar creator developed by the Commissioner to provide children and young people with a way to share their views and have them published on the website and social media. Allows children to create their 'digital me' and have a say on health and wellbeing topics; more than 3,200 DigiMe contributions were received throughout 2020-21.
• Indicators of Wellbeing An evidence-based online data resource structured across three age groups (0-5, 6-11, 12-17 years) and three domains (Learning and participating, Healthy and connected, Safe and supported) that monitors and reports on the wellbeing of WA children and young people.
• Wellbeing Monitoring Framework A framework that investigates and reports on key aspects of WA children and young people's wellbeing, providing government and non-government organisations with data to identify what is working and where changes are required.
• Profile of Children and Young People in WA An annual demographic profile publication providing a statistical overview of WA's approximately 610,000 children and young people aged 0 to 17 years, including focused analysis of those experiencing vulnerability and hardship such as those in juvenile justice, out-of-home care, with disability and living in poverty.
• Child Safe Organisations WA A resource program promoting and supporting implementation of child safe principles and practices in organisations. Includes best practice guidelines, self-assessment and review tools, and information for parents, carers and families aligned with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments in February 2019.
• Engaging with Aboriginal Children and Young People Toolkit A toolkit providing guidance and resources for meaningfully engaging with Aboriginal children and young people in culturally appropriate ways, supporting organisations and government agencies in their consultation and service design practices.
• Complaints, Enquiries and Feedback Service A complaint handling service allowing children, young people, families and community members to contact the Commissioner, submit complaints via email or phone, and receive follow-up within 15 days with information about relevant support services. Personal information is stored on secure Australian servers in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 17,000 children and young people consulted in 2025 Speaking Out Survey across 122 schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Australian and New Zealand Children's Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates (ANZCCGA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe WA Commissioner is Co-chair of ANZCCGA which promotes safety, wellbeing, and rights of children and young people in Australia and New Zealand. ANZCCGA advocates for child participation in decision-making and systemic improvement in areas like child poverty, housing, mental health, child protection, and youth justice. Joint statements published on matters including child sexual abuse, social media ban proposal, and child poverty.
• Wyndham Youth Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop and deliver a culturally inclusive training program focused on Aboriginal community research. Young Aboriginal people in Wyndham were trained as community researchers to conduct consultations with local young people on youth service provision and employment.
• Ninti OneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to run a three-day workshop on community research for young Aboriginal people, developing their skills in community-peer research and community consultation processes in regional WA.
• National Office for Child SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commissioner's office was appointed to develop resources for children and young people across Australia explaining their right to speak up when they feel uncomfortable, unsafe or marginalised. 680 children and young people from across Australia participated in focus groups and online survey to inform this work.
• Department of Premier and Cabinet (WA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commissioner participates in the Department of Premier and Cabinet Independent Oversight Working Group which leads implementation of particular Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommendations.
• Department of Communities (WA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing strategic engagement with the Department responsible for family support, child protection and out-of-home care services. The Commissioner chairs the Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Western Australia Executive Steering Group and participates in Department of Communities External Implementation Working Group.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Office for Child Safety: Australian Government agency leading national implementation of Royal Commission recommendations on child safety. CCYP WA was commissioned by this body to develop national child-facing resources, making it a key partner/ecosystem entity rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Commission for Children and Young People (Victoria): Victorian state-level statutory commission with parallel functions of advocacy, child wellbeing research and policy advice. Operates a comparable mix of independent oversight, inquiries, and engagement programs aimed at children and young people.
• Children and Young People Commissioner (ACT): ACT statutory commissioner for children and young people with advocacy, monitoring, and research functions. Smaller jurisdiction than WA but operates a near-identical mandate and engagement model.
• Queensland Family and Child Commission: Queensland's state-level statutory body promoting the safety, wellbeing and rights of children and young people. Closely comparable in mandate, jurisdiction size, and engagement-based advocacy model to CCYP WA.
• NSW Office of the Children's Guardian: Statutory state-level office in New South Wales that combines child advocacy with sector regulation (child safe organisations, working with children checks). Directly comparable to CCYP WA as a state-based statutory body with advocacy, monitoring and child safe organisation mandates.
• Office of the Children's Commissioner (Northern Territory): NT statutory office promoting the interests and wellbeing of children and young people. Highly comparable in mandate, with particular overlap given both WA and NT serve large Aboriginal and remote populations.
• Office of the Children's Commissioner (New Zealand): New Zealand's independent children's commissioner operating under the Office of the Children's Commissioner Act. CCYP WA's Co-chair role in ANZCCGA reflects ongoing operational comparability with this office across monitoring, advocacy and complaints work.
• Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People (South Australia): South Australian independent statutory officer advocating for children and young people in care and detention. Comparable function and scope as a state-level children's commissioner with oversight and advocacy duties.
• Office of the Child Safety Commissioner (Tasmania): Tasmanian statutory officer focused on child safety and wellbeing, including child safe organisations and advocacy. Directly comparable in role and statutory footing, although Tasmania's smaller jurisdiction offers a useful scaling comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Human Rights Commission: National statutory body with a broader human rights remit including the rights of children. Functions as a broader incumbent in the same advocacy and policy space, with overlapping jurisdiction on children's rights and child safe practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCACZhxkFbCOwmFND4MmBrrA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCYPWA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commissioner-for-children-and-young-people-wa
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccypwa

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Commissioner for Children and Young People WA