Kidsafe Australia was established in 1979. We are an independent, charitable organisation dedicated to the prevention of unintentional death and serious injury to children aged 0 – 15 years.
Kidsafe was first established in 1979 as the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia (CAPFA). State divisions were established soon after. The name Kidsafe was adopted nationally in 1993. In July 2003, the Foundation adopted a federated structure, with each of the state branches becoming independently Incorporated Associations. Kidsafe was established to focus the attention of policy makers and the community at large on the need for improved child safety measures. Kidsafe operates in cooperation with a variety of stakeholders including government, industry, schools, hospitals, the media, community groups, voluntary organisations and individuals.
Since Kidsafe’s establishment, the number of children in Australia killed by unintentional injury has more than halved; from over 750 deaths in 1979 to only 150 deaths each year now. This has been achieved through collaboration with others to provide injury prevention programs, legislation and standards change, media campaigns and educational resources. These have led to increased awareness of child safety issues and injury prevention throughout the community. To date, a great deal has been achieved in preventing unintentional deaths and serious injuries to children – however, injury is still the leading cause of death in Australian children aged one to fourteen years, accounting for nearly half of all deaths in this age group. Kidsafe and the community must continue their efforts to save the lives of Australian children.
Why we do what we do
‘Every day around the world the lives of families are torn apart by the loss of a child to unintentional injury or so-called ‘accidents’ that could have been prevented. The grief that these families suffer – mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents and friends – is immeasurable and often impacts on entire communities. Such tragedy can change lives irrevocably’.
As stated by WHO & UNICEF (2008 p vii)
Our Strategic Direction
The current Kidsafe Australia Strategic Plan can be accessed here.
Safe Kids Worldwide
Kidsafe Australia is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide helping to prevent childhood injury throughout the world. You can learn more about Safe Kids Worldwide here: www.safekids.org