Change the Story

Life’s Lottery is changing.

Change the Story is the next chapter - a podcast about what it takes to create real social change.

Where Life’s Lottery explored how inequality shapes our lives, Change the Story asks the next question: what are we doing about it?

Hosted by Amy Persson from the University of Technology Sydney, hear stories from people working to change systems from the ground up: community leaders, researchers, activists an...

Jeni Whalan hosts a discussion on the recent commitments from both NSW and Victoria to deliver a year of universal play-based learning for children in the year before they start school.

As well as transforming early childhood education, the goal is to build the sector workforce and further boost productivity by better supporting working parents.

Leslie Loble, the co-chair of the Council on Early Childhood Development and Amanda Rob...

In this bonus episode, hosts Jeni Whalan and Glyn Davis examine the insights gained across this season of conversations about putting children at the centre of good public policy.

They discuss the frustrating gap between knowledge and action when it comes to shifting the dial towards more positive outcomes for all kids.

Without political leadership, meaningful consultation and targeted, place-based responses, many well-intentioned ...

‘Never again’ were words that echoed around the world in the wake of the second world war.

Organisations were formed with the explicit aim of respecting and promoting international cooperation, aid and development. Only a few decades later, we have seen the first increase in poverty for a generation. Why?

And why does inequality, conflict, and the impact of natural disasters still have such a disproportionate impact on children, es...

First Nations children in Australia are some of the most disadvantaged and disenfranchised in our society. But they’re also on a journey of discovery, healing and strength through culture in response to the devastating impact of colonisation.

Our guest host for this episode is Leila Smith, the CEO of the Aurora Education Foundation, which works to improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous students.

Leila sits down with two oth...

We know what children need in their first five years to develop to their full potential, so why isn’t action around this at the top of the national agenda?

Former Premier and South Australian Minister for Children, Jay Weatherill, leads the Thrive by Five campaign, which seeks to change that. He’s advocating for a universal, high quality childcare system for all Australian children.

What would it take to get the states and the Comm...

The first five years of a child’s life are crucial for developmental outcomes and long term health. Paediatrician and leading child health researcher, Professor Sharon Goldfeld, argues we need a radical redesign of how families can be best supported during a child’s early years.

She outlines the need for creativity in public policies to address the growing disparities in child health and wellbeing - and she’s excited about the possi...

We debrief the 2022 Federal Budget to explore how children are reflected in the national economic plan.

Amanda Robbins and Alicia Mollaun from Equity Economics share their analysis of the implications for kids and families and explore how the Budget process could better deliver big picture reform for those without a seat at the table, or a vote at the ballot box.

As some nations explore the use of child-centred budgets, what’s the be...

We live in a wealthy nation but the experiences of Australian children are diverse, with many experiencing real challenges in their everyday lives. Two years into the pandemic, there are strong concerns about the impact on kids and the cost to their wellbeing, especially for those who were already behind.

We hear from National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, who is calling for a concerted effort to elevate the rights, needs a...

In season 2 of Life’s Lottery we explore how we can best support and back children through better policy making and public investment.

How do we create a society where all kids can thrive? Join us for a series of thought-provoking conversations about how to put children at the centre and why it makes sense for all of us.

New name

This podcast is now called Change the Story.

For more information about the original Life's Lott...

If we want to inform better public policy to end poverty and disadvantage, hard data and facts are more important than ever.

This sets up both a challenge and an opportunity for organisations as philanthropy in Australia develops even further. In this episode, we draw together the threads of our earlier conversations.

We talk to Susan Urahn, from the Pew Charitable Trusts, about philanthropy’s role in bringing diverse groups together...

No major social problem has a single cause so why would a single approach or organisation be able to solve it? Collective Impact starts with social objectives that are agreed upon across all sectors of society.

This episode considers the idea at the heart of Collective Impact: that large-scale social change comes from better cross-sector coordination rather than from the isolated intervention of individual organisations.

How does aba...

Most people in jail have experienced disadvantage at some point in their lives, and it’s a legacy that often passes from parent to child.

Could transforming policies and systems for parents in prison reduce the intergenerational transmission of offending and disadvantage?

What can help prisoners maintain strong relationships with their children, and why are these investments worth it? Might this be a way to ensure a prison sentence b...