<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/research" rel="" target="" title="Researchers"><span>Researchers</span></a><span> say </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/queensland" rel="" target="" title="Queensland"><span>Queensland</span></a><span> kids are worse off than those in the rest of the country, with close to a quarter not meeting developmental milestones.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The University of Queensland report Raising Queensland, commissioned by the Queensland Council of Social Services, revealed damning statistics about housing, health and education across the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A coalition of frontline community services have today called on the government, desperate for a new strategy to ease stress on Queensland families.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NATIONAL:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-australia-energy-minister-flags-work-from-home-as-sensible-option-for-millions/24b49ae8-9b6b-4cc7-8afd-02a569645e11" target="_blank"><strong><span>Energy Minister backs working from home amid fuel crisis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Ninety-two percent of young children at birth are assessed as being in normal developmental range. By age of five that drops to 76 per cent," report author Professor Karen Healy AM said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So we have close to 77,000 children who are entering school, who are not developmentally prepared for that.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And we know that risk is not spread evenly."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-kids-worse-off-than-rest-of-the-country-housing-health-education-research-cost-of-living-news/5b49107e-6e8c-4687-85ea-d499a84a58fb" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Healy said the majority of Queensland's low-income families were in extreme housing stress, meaning they're spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is not just a housing crisis, this is a child and family crisis for our state, and it's not inevitable," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The problems for Queensland are not about potential, they're about equality of opportunity, and there's lots of things that can be done.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And we know that risk is not spread evenly."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said kids in regional, rural and remote areas, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids were disproportionately represented.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/daylight-savings-2026-when-does-it-end-australia-what-to-do-clocks-april-explainer/557ba184-b801-488a-8ded-d2e063cf3e21" target="_blank"><strong><span>Millions about to get an extra hour's sleep as daylight saving ends</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The report found there's more than 10,000 families with kids on the social housing waitlist in Queensland and the number of kids in residential care has risen 85 per cent in five years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It also revealed 14 per cent of Queensland families have run out of food at some point in the last 12 months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And it found kids are finishing Year 12 at a far lower rate in the regions compared to metro areas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"More and more children are struggling to access a basic standard of living," QCOSS CEO Aimee McVee said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For years now, our services across Queensland have been telling us that it is getting harder and harder to raise children in Queensland."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She called on the government, and specifically the Minister for Families Amanda Camm, to create a "coordinated whole-of-government families strategy".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're calling on the Queensland government to commit to a multi-year family strategy to make sure that kids across Queensland have access to the things they deserve, living in the context of their family and their community, having access to health, education and housing."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a statement, a government spokesperson accused the former Labor government of throwing Queenslanders' money at "short-term sugar hits prior to an election" and said it was "delivering long-term housing, health, transport and cost of living assistance" referencing affordable public transport, investment in community housing and school and sports vouchers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are pulling every lever to help Queensland families deal with Labor's cost-of-living crisis, including through the LNP's Permanent 50 Cent Fares, driving down power prices with affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, the multi-billion dollar Queensland Community Housing Investment Pipeline, Play On! Sports Vouchers, Back to School Boost, and delivering generational infrastructure."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>