Conferences

Child Aware Approaches conferences are an opportunity to bring together a broad range of practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers interested in developing new strategies and forging new links to develop a deeper understanding of the approaches needed to make the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s children a shared community responsibility.

Watch video of delegates and speakers’ take home messages from the 2017 Child Aware Approaches Conference here.

Watch video of delegate and speaker views on the 2016 Child Aware Approaches Conference here.

2017

The 2017 Conference was titled ‘Driving national action on child safety and wellbeing’. Themes included: advancing children’s development and wellbeing in the first 1000 days; supporting young people in out-of-home care to flourish in adulthood; and building child safe organisations and environments. The Oration was delivered by Professor Ngiare Brown, Founding Director, Ngaoara Ltd Child and Adolescent Wellbeing; Deputy Chair, Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council.

2016

The 2016 Conference was titled ‘Valuing, Protecting and Promoting Child Wellbeing’. Themes included: advancing children’s development and wellbeing in the first 1000 days; supporting young people in out-of-home care to flourish in adulthood; and building child safe organisations and environments. The Oration was delivered by June Oscar AO, CEO of Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre.

2015

The focus of the 2015 conference was Innovations in early intervention, community collaboration and partnership beyond the child & family welfare sector. International keynote speakers included: Bernadine Mackenzie, Deputy Chief Executive, Child, Youth & Family, New Zealand; Paul Nixon, Chief Social Worker for Child, Youth and Family, New Zealand; and Helen Buckley, Associate Professor, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin. The Oration was delivered by Aden Ridgeway.

2014

Sharing, Building and Recognising Child Aware Innovation was the theme of the 2014 conference. Keynote speakers included: Professor Nigel Parton (UK); The Hon. Mary Wooldridge MP; Dr Daryl Higgins; Richard Weston; and Emeritus Professor Dorothy Scott OAM. The Oration was delivered by The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM, Chair of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

2013

This inaugural conference was themed, Making Child Wellbeing and Safety Your Responsibility. Keynote speakers included: Professor Fiona Arney; Professor Muriel Bamblett AM; Professor Marie Connolly; Professor Alan Hayes AM; Ms Maree Walk; and Adjunct Associate Professor Geoff Woolcock. The Oration was delivered by the newly appointed National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell.