Life stages in Nauru

Children in Nauru are protected until age 18 under the child-rights framework, the Constitution and the Child Protection and Welfare Act 2016. A hospital birth notification should be followed by registration with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The reported pathway uses hospital notification within 7 days and parent or guardian registration within 21 days. A birth certificate supports proof of identity, nationality and access to services. The published Birth Claim provides A$300 for a child of an employed mother or A$600 for a child of an unemployed mother as a one-off payment. MICS 2023 reported birth registration for 99% of children under five, institutional delivery for 99% and skilled birth attendance for 98%. Child protection covers parental and family care, alternative care, basic nutrition, shelter and health, and protection from maltreatment, neglect, abuse and exploitative labour. The Child Protection Unit and the Directorate of Family and Community Services can receive concerns and prepare a case plan. Police and courts become involved in serious cases. Support can include counselling, education, financial assistance and medical treatment. Family-based solutions are preferred where they are safe. MICS 2023 reported that 81% of children aged 1 to 14 had experienced violent discipline, while child labour was reported as nearly absent. Government guidance places school age at 5 to 18 and requires enrolment and daily attendance, subject to approved religious, cultural or exceptional grounds. The first attendance offence can result in an A$50 fine and a subsequent offence within the same year in an A$250 fine. An employer may not employ a school-age child during school hours; the reported employer fine is A$1,000. Attendance data from 2021 show a substantial difference between children aged 7 to 12, at 81.1%, and those aged 13 to 18, at 59.5%. This makes the move from secondary school to further training or work a significant transition. After secondary school, a person may continue through the Queensland Certificate of Education, Nauru Trade and Vocational Education Training, scholarships, internships or work. TVET fields include plumbing, automotive work, electrotechnology, engineering, hospitality, construction, information technology and digital skills, fashion and design, joinery, carpentry and polywelding. Alternative Pathways and Certificate II programmes provide non-traditional routes. The Student Internship Program serves Year 12 and Year 13 Nauruan-heritage students and may place them with local or overseas institutions if they are on the island. An initial placement lasts 6 weeks and may be extended by up to 6 months. Adult and community enrolment in TVET is also possible. The Back to School payment is reported as A$50 per child per term for an enrolled Nauru student with good attendance. NEAT is reported as A$5 for each attended school day from Year 9, accumulated until payment at Year 12 graduation. Youth Affairs uses an operational group of ages 18 to 35 in a 2023 public-service brief, but this is not a universal legal definition. The Directorate of Youth Affairs, Nauru National Youth Council, schools, community groups and religious groups support sports, arts, drama, life skills, social and emotional support and community participation. Access depends on the programme. People under 18 retain child-protection and safeguarding rights, while the transition after school may involve informal education, community skills, seasonal work or overseas training. Nauru has no single general adult-age threshold evidenced across all services; constitutional voting and eligibility for a parliamentary mandate begin at age 20, while other age limits depend on the law or programme. Older age is linked mainly to employment-based savings and the Aged Pension. The published pension rules describe eligibility for a resident of Nauru over 60 who meets the criteria and has no other regular income. The payment is not means-tested and is paid fortnightly. Government information has published A$250 for people over 60 and A$300 for people over 70, while a 2025 national report states A$300 for people aged 60 and over. Because these amounts conflict and can change, the current rate should be confirmed with the Department of Finance or Social Welfare Division. The Nauru Superannuation Scheme is a defined-contribution scheme for Nauruan resident employees. Employer contributions were raised to 10% from 1 February 2026, with mandatory employer and employee participation subject to small-employer exemptions. Care dependency has no evidenced direct equivalent to a universal institutional long-term-care insurance scheme. Support is fragmented between the Department of People Living with Disabilities, Health and Medical Services, Social Welfare and family or community care. Disability payments are published at A$250 per fortnight for residents who meet the criteria and have no regular income. Older people may receive free health consultations or home visits, free bus services and a travel concession, depending on the service. Eligibility, assessment and available support must be checked separately because cash benefits, rehabilitation and family care follow different pathways. Major life changes can also involve crisis support. A death in Nauru may qualify for a published one-off Death Claim of A$2,000 per deceased person, subject to the applicable conditions. A child exposed to violence or neglect can be referred to child protection, the police, a court or an interagency service. In juvenile justice, children under 10 cannot be held criminally responsible; for ages 10 to 14, prosecution must prove that the child knew the act was wrong in law, and imprisonment is intended as a last resort with safeguards against detention with adults. Birth, school exit, disability, retirement, bereavement and care needs therefore connect formal services with family, community and informal support.