Full Name
Fariba Gharahkani
Job Title
NSW Director Adoption and Permanency Services
Company
DCJ Alternate Care Practice Team (ACPT)
Speaker Bio
Fariba is Director Adoption and Permanency Services at the Department of Communities and Justice. There she leads adoption programs in Out of Home Care, Permanent Care, Local (voluntary adoption), Intercountry and Adoption Information Unit (post adoption services). Fariba is a Social Worker from the University of NSW and has worked in Child Protection for 17 years, in the areas of Out of Home Care, Strengthening Families (Early Intervention), Adolescent Services and Accreditation.

In 2018 Fariba received a commendation from NSW Police for work in Child Protection, Homicide Squad solving crimes against children which demonstrated the importance of collaboration between multiple government agencies. Whilst working in Adolescent Services Fariba led the Cabramatta Street team, Child Protection Adolescent response teams and Intensive services in South Western Sydney and assisted to develop collaborative partnerships around emerging issues of underage forced marriages and anti-radicalisation programs.

Fariba is passionate about modern open adoption practice in NSW in which her focus has been reform in the area of the NSW Integrated Birth Certificate which reflects contemporary understandings of the needs and bests interests of the child and adopted people. The introduction of the Integrated Birth Certificate will enable a holistic reflection of life story, connectedness to family, heritage as well as identity and belonging.
Fariba Gharahkani