Raising a teenager checklist
Payments
Check if you can get a Centrelink payment to help with the cost of raising your child. You may get:
- Family Tax Benefit if you earn under the income limit
- Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme if your child can't go to a local school because of geographical isolation, disability or special needs
- Mobility Allowance to help with travel costs for study or training if your child is over 16 years old and has disability, illness or injury.
If your child has disability or a medical condition, you may be eligible for government support for carers.
You can find payments for foster carers and non-parents carers and grandparent carers on the Services Australia website.
How to claim
You can claim a payment in your Centrelink online account through myGov.
There may be changes to your Family Tax Benefit as your child gets older.
You can check what happens when your child turns 13 and what can affect your Family Tax Benefit on the Services Australia website.
Find out about payments you may get from your state or territory government if you’re raising a teenager.
- ACT – Support for parents in ACT
- NSW – Support for students NSW
- NT – Student financial help and scholarships NT and Sport voucher NT
- Qld – Help with school costs Qld and Play On! vouchers Qld
- SA – Financial help, scholarships and grants SA and Sports Vouchers SA
- Tas – Help for school costs Tas
- Vic – Financial help for families Vic
- WA – Financial support for school students in WA and KidSport WA
There are organisations that can help with your child’s school costs through matched savings programs and no interest loans.
Find out about:
- Saver Plus, which is a matched savings program, on the Brotherhood of St Laurence website
- No Interest Loans, which can help with school fees or uniforms, on the Good Shepherd website.
You can also find tips for reducing back to school costs on the Moneysmart website.
High school
Go to your state or territory government website to find out about enrolling in a public high school.
- ACT – Enrol in a public school in ACT
- NSW – High school enrolment NSW
- NT – Enrol your child at school in NT
- Qld – Enrolment Qld
- SA – School enrolment SA
- Tas – Enrolling your child Tas
- Vic – Secondary school in Vic
- WA – Enrol at a WA public school
You can use the My School website to get information about schools, like the number of students and academic outcomes.
Your child may get free or low cost travel on public transport to and from school. Find out what’s available on your state or territory website.
- ACT – Schools ACT
- NSW – School student travel NSW
- NT – Getting to and from school NT
- Qld – School transport Qld
- SA – Getting to school SA
- Tas – Student travel Tas
- Vic – School students Vic
- WA – Student travel subsidies WA
As your child starts thinking about their future, they may want to:
- work full time
- do an apprenticeship or traineeship
- continue studying at university or a vocational education and training provider.
To help them find a career or study pathway, they can use:
- Your Career to search study and training courses, and find information about pay and available jobs across different careers
- myfuture to explore occupations, courses, industries and find resources to help them apply for jobs
- Job Jumpstart to work out what jobs might suit them.
Working
Visit the Youth Law Australia website to find out what age your child can start work in your state or territory.
To find a job they can:
- search on the Workforce Australia website
- use job search websites
- search industry specific job websites
- contact employers.
The Job Jumpstart website has tips for writing resumes and cover letters and interviews.
Your child needs a tax file number (TFN) to start working and they’ll need to choose a superannuation fund.
You can find out more about getting a TFN. There’s also information about super on the Australian Taxation Office website.
At the end of the financial year, they’ll need to either lodge a tax return or non-lodgment advice. Help them prepare for tax time.
There are laws to make sure your child’s workplace is safe, they’re paid fairly and they can access entitlements like leave.
Understand their rights and entitlements as a young worker or student on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Your child's health care
Your child can get these free immunisations through school in years 7 and 10:
- diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) at 12 to 13 years old
- human papillomavirus (HPV) at 12 to 13 years old
- meningococcal ACWY at 14 to 16 years old.
Find out more about immunisation for adolescents on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
If your child is under 14, you can get their immunisation history statement in your Medicare online account through myGov.
Find out about other ways to get proof of your child’s vaccinations on the Services Australia website.
How access changes when your child turns 14
When your child turns 14, you can’t access their immunisation history statement without their consent. Find out how children who are 14 or older can get their statement on the Services Australia website.
When your child turns 14, they gain control of their My Health Record.
They can choose to give you access as a nominated representative. They can find out about nominated representatives on the Australian Digital Health Agency website.
Medicare can help with the cost of seeing a doctor or specialist and getting tests and scans.
You may be able to claim money back from Medicare at your doctor’s or use your Medicare online account through myGov.
Find out more about Medicare.
If you spend over a certain amount on medical costs in a calendar year, you may get more money back from Medicare Safety Nets.
You can register as a family to combine your medical costs.
How to check if you’re in a Medicare Safety Net family
You can check if you’re already in a Medicare Safety Net family in your Medicare online account through myGov.
How to register your family
You can find the form to register your family for Medicare Safety Nets on the Services Australia website.
You can also use this form to update your Medicare Safety Net family.
Find out more about Medicare Safety Nets on the Services Australia website.
Your child can get help with their mental health through school counsellors, their GP or a psychologist.
Free mental health services
There are free services that offer support and advice for teenagers. You can find out how to contact them on their websites:
Mental health services in your state or territory
You can also get help for your child’s mental health through community organisations in your state or territory.
- ACT – Youth mental health ACT
- NSW – Adolescent Mental Health NSW
- NT – Mental health services NT
- Qld – Youth mental health Qld
- SA – Adolescent Mental Health SA
- Tas – Youth Mental Health Tas
- Vic – Adolescent mental health Vic
- WA – Adolescent Health Service WA
Your child’s dental care
Find out if you can access low cost public dental services on your state or territory website.
- ACT – Dental services ACT
- NSW – Dental services NSW
- NT – Dental services for children NT
- Qld – Public dental services Qld
- SA – SA Dental
- Tas – Dental Health Services Tas
- Vic – Dental Health Services Vic
- WA – Dental services WA
If you get some Centrelink payments, you may get help to pay for basic dental services through the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
If your child is eligible, Services Australia will send you a letter.
Find out more about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule on the Services Australia website.
Check your Child Dental Benefits Schedule balance
If your Medicare online account is linked to myGov, you can check your child’s balance online.
Once you’ve signed in, select History and statements and then Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
Claim dental services through the Child Dental Benefits Schedule
You can claim the benefit for your child’s dental services at the dentist when you pay.
If your dentist can’t claim on your behalf, you can claim in your Medicare online account through myGov.