LAUSR

▪In this narrative review, we summarise the vast and burgeoning research on the potential and established indirect impacts on children of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We used a community child health lens to organise our findings and to consider how Australia might best respond to the needs of children (aged 0–12 years). ▪We synthesised the literature on previous pandemics, epidemics and natural disasters, and the current COVID‐19 pandemic. We found clear evidence of adverse impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on children that either repeated or extended the findings from previous pandemics. ▪We identified 11 impact areas, under three broad categories: child‐level factors (poorer mental health, poorer child health and development, poorer academic achievement); family‐level factors that affect children (poorer parent mental health, reduced family income and job losses, increased household stress, increased abuse and neglect, poorer maternal and newborn health); and service‐level factors that affect children (school closures, reduced access to health care, increased use of technology for learning, connection and health care). ▪There is increasing global concern about the likely disproportionate impact of the current pandemic on children experiencing adversity, widening existing disparities in child health and developmental outcomes. ▪We suggest five potential strategy areas that could begin to address these inequities: addressing financial instability through parent financial supplements; expanding the role of schools to address learning gaps and wellbeing; rethinking health care delivery to address reduced access; focusing on prevention and early intervention for mental health; and using digital solutions to address inequitable service delivery.