A Shorten Labor Government will provide $6 million to Kids Helpline to ensure that children and young people across Australia can access 24/7 free national counselling and support services.

Kids Helpline is a 24/7 national counselling and support service that has been supporting young people in need across Australia since 1991.
 
Labor knows that the level of mental ill health amongst children and young people is of increasing concern across Australia. One in four young people aged 16 to 24 experience mental ill health.
 
Kids Helpline plays a critical role in addressing this by offering free prevention and early intervention services to children and young people aged five to 25 regardless of where they live. Since its establishment in 1991, Kids Helpline has helped over eight million Australians through phone, email and webchat avenues of contact.
 
By boosting resources for Kids Helpline, Labor will ensure that Kids Helpline is better equipped to deal with rising demand for mental health services.
 
Since 2012, there has been around a 20 per cent increase in contacts to Kids Helpline in relation to suicide. 
 
With the current level of funding available, thousands of calls to Kids Helpline are not able to be answered.  
 
Our investment in Kids Helpline builds on Labor’s strong history of supporting and expanding mental health services.
 
Labor continues to take action on youth mental health because it is the right thing to do – for our children and young people, their families and the broader community.

For 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Other services include Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467, Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636, Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800, MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978