Conferences & Events

Child Aware 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.

Conference media and reporting

Young people have spoken. It’s My Future video pitch submissions here.

Adam Dean, Senior Research Officer at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, shared his thoughts about the Young People’s Plenary Panel with Robert Taylor from the Salvation Army Ingle Farm here.

QUT News: watch undergraduate journalism student, Isabella Magee’s report and interviews here.

Opinion Piece on the Young People’s Plenary Panel by Paris McMahon, Panel Facilitator and Young Thinker in Residence for the ACT Human Rights Commission here.

2020

The 2020 Child Aware event was held in Melbourne, 10 March 2020. The Hon Michelle Landry MP, Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Assistant Minister for Northern Australia delivered the official opening. Keynote addresses focussing on voices of children and young people in policy and strategy were provided by a panel of inspiring young people, Maree Brown, Director of the Child Wellbeing Unit (NZ Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet and Richard Weston, CEO of SNAICC. Megan Mitchell delivered the Families Australia 2020 Oration, looking back on her term as National Children’s Commissioner.

2019

The 2019 Conference was titled ‘Children, Young People, Families: our concern | our responsibility | our future’. Themes included: 1. Improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: Children and young people at risk of entering, or in the child protection system | 2. Improving access to prevention and early intervention: joint service planning and investment | 3. Improving placement stability for children and young people in out-of-home care: reunification and other permanent care options | 4. Keeping children and young people safe from abuse: organisations and government | 5. Strengthening our focus on wellbeing Beyond 2020. The Families Australia Oration, ‘Dreaming Our Children’s Future’, was delivered by Richard Weston, CEO of the Healing Foundation (2010-2019).

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.