Our Kids Count birth registration day, Collarenebri

NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages staff will be assisting the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community with any birth registration issues families are having and will be providing free birth certificates to vulnerable community members and young people.

The ‘Our Kids Count’ initiative provides on the ground support to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents register their child’s birth. 

Birth certificates are an essential pathway to enrol in school, open a bank account, join sporting clubs, to enrol to vote and apply for a job, a driver licence or a passport. Ensuring children have a birth certificate as soon as possible makes it easier for them and their families when growing up and navigating life. 

In some situations, there are barriers to birth registration and accessing birth certificates, such as financial costs or being in a remote community. ‘Our Kids Count’ helps to break these down and ensure people have access to this vital form of identification. 

The Registry works closely with local Aboriginal organisations, land councils, health, and non-government organisations to organise registration events and communicate the importance of birth registration within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.