Join host Phoebe Garland for plenary session five where we focus on nationally supporting carers. An important outcome in the National Commitment Plan for Children & Young People to #THRIVE, as presented to government following the conference last year, carers are the bedrock of the out-of-home care system and critical to achieving permanency outcomes for children. In this session we will hear from Dr Stacy Blythe on the infant care research by My Forever Family NSW and Western Sydney University; and Dr Elsie Alcordo, Acting Director, Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO), provides an overview of the VAGO report into Kinship Care in Victoria.

Daniella Park hosts plenary session six where we focus on the importance of bringing the village together to support families and carers. In this session we will hear from West Australian Minister for Child Protection, the Hon Simone McGurk about the whole-of-government approach in that state, and the Hon. Roger Jaensch MP, Tasmanian Minister for Education, Children and Youth provides an update. Intercountry adoptee Zufi Emerson speaks on the importance of remaining connected to her heritage, and we hear a little about how the My Forever Family NSW supports carers and families in that state.

OOHC Systemic Challenges and associated risks to children: Placement versus Permanency

In this Breakout session we welcome Rose Daniel - NDIS Manager at CASPA.

Rose will discuss feedback from caseworkers, foster carers, and community members on the challenges and barriers preventing adequate NDIS supports being implemented in the care environment and what CASPA has done to help participants and families overcome these issues and secure disability services that provide the quality care their children deserve.

Introduction about My Forever Family NSW purpose and how we support carers and training

Ellia Green, Adopt Change Ambassador and athlete, hosts plenary session seven where we discuss the critical topic of providing support to young people as they leave care. In this session Dr Victoria Flanagan discusses Foyer Centra, a youth transition program; the Hon. Rachel Stephen-Smith, ACT Minister for families and Community Services provides an update on progress in that state, and human rights advocate and lawyer Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts shares some of her lived experience insight.

Indigenous Child Removal: Fixing a Broken System

Join host Joe Hidebrand as we launch the third day of the conference, focusing on the importance of creating trauma-informed and inclusive environments in schools for children in care. In this first session we will hear an update from the NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Hon. Sarah Mitchell; Adopt Change CEO Renée Carter sits down with Bruce D. Perry MD, PhD, author of the best-selling book What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing; and Lived Experience Advocate Feonyx Holden shares her story.

Join host Louise Ransome for our second education plenary as we focus on inclusive and trauma-informed education services made available for all children in care. We will hear from Nic Danta and Chloe Duncan from the Department of Education on Inclusive, Engaging and Respectful Schools; Victorian Shadow Minister for Child Protection and Youth Justice Matthew Bach shares his personal story, and we hear about the new Empower Change program by Adopt Change, helping young people in care prepare for independence.

Hook into Books- Supporting Children and Young People to build bright futures through education and learning “Everyday Everyway”.

Understanding behaviours in the classroom through a therapeutic lens.

Linda has drawn from her personal and professional experiences as an adoptive parent and educator to delve more deeply into the brain science of early trauma in her therapeutic practice – creating an accessible model for educators and families to support children and young people with an experience of trauma to access education.

Join us for the final session of #THRIVE2022 where we focus on the future of education through a trauma-informed approach. Thomas and Joseph Bennett discuss Foster the Future, an Australian charity helping kids in care get back on track in school, and we hear from Jane Vadiveloo from Children’s Ground, a system-change organisation that privileges First Nations systems of knowledge and practice.