This Sunday, 27 September, communities around the world will mark the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

This year’s theme, “Even just one of these children”, draws our attention to children on the move and to Jesus’ words: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” 

At the end of 2025, an estimated 45 million children were among the world’s forcibly displaced people. Behind that number are children with their own names, families, hopes and fears. Children who have been forced to leave home because of conflict, persecution, violence, poverty, environmental disasters or family separation.

Here in Australia, children seeking asylum can face profound uncertainty. For some families, the struggle to secure housing, food, healthcare and a stable income is compounded by barriers to education and the uncertainty of their immigration status.

For children, this is not a policy issue, this is their every day life. And these circumstances determine how welcome a child seeking asylum feels in our community. 

At JRS Australia, we see what a difference practical support can make. Earlier this year, our Back-to-School Drive provided 160 backpacks to 80 families. The bags contained the everyday things children need to participate at school — stationery, books, headphones, water bottles and other supplies.

For one parent, seeing their child receive a backpack brought joy: “My son got so excited that he can’t wait to use them at kindergarten tomorrow!”

This may seem like a small act, but that child started school with the supplies they needed, feeling prepared and included and welcome alongside their classmates. For their family, this is also one less expense at a time when rent, food and transport are already difficult to afford.

This matters. This child matters. All children matter. But practical support cannot address every barrier children seeking asylum face.

Thriving at School

JRS helps families navigate school enrolment, documentation, fee waivers, uniforms and other practical challenges. We walk alongside people seeking asylum as they navigate systems that can be difficult to access, particularly when families have limited income and may not be eligible for mainstream forms of government assistance.

Many families have large debts accrued because they have not been offered a waiver of school fees. In some cases, children are denied access to school because of these debts. This is not acceptable, and it deprives children of the right to education, which we must uphold in Australia.

We also know that children’s wellbeing depends on the circumstances surrounding them. Families need access to safe and stable housing, adequate income, healthcare and education. They need protection from destitution and policies that allow children to grow up with dignity and a sense of security.

That is why JRS Australia both accompanies and serves families directly, and advocates for systems that uphold their rights and wellbeing.

Welcome starts with us. 

Every child deserves the chance to learn, to play, to make friends, to feel safe and to imagine their future. 

On this World Day of Migrants and Refugees, we are invited to consider what welcome looks like in our own communities, especially when we turn our hearts to children. We are also invited to remember the difference we can make, even for just one child.

This year, consider participating in Cook to Connect, a gathering with friends, family, colleagues or parish communities to share a meal, learn from one another and stand in solidarity with refugees and people seeking asylum.

A shared meal can create connection. It can challenge isolation. And when people come together to raise funds for JRS, it also helps provide the practical support that families need, from food and emergency relief to casework, employment assistance and specialist support for women and children experiencing violence.

This is the work of small actions that represent the beginning of something bigger.

This World Day of Migrants and Refugees, consider what you can do to help children and families seeking safety feel welcomed, supported and able to thrive in our communities.

Cook to Connect with JRS Australia and help create a more welcoming Australia, for all children.