Recent Achievements
Families Australia seeks to promote a national policy environment in which the needs and interests of families, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, can be heard and addressed. We envision a society that recognises the central role of families in our community and embraces its responsibilities for the development, nurturing and wellbeing of all families.
Families Australia has been active on a wide range of issues, including:
Child safety and wellbeing
- Families Australia was a major party to the development of the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children in 2008-09. Since our inception, we and other organisations have advocated for a national approach to child protection. Families Australia is the secretariat for the around 100 member NGO Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia’s Children which is working with governments to implement the Framework.
Adult survivors of childhood abuse: Forgotten Australians
- Families Australia has been working in close collaboration with the Alliance for Forgotten Australians in its campaign for political and community recognition of, and support for, the 500,000 Australians who, as children, were in institutional or other out-of-home care in the last Century. We provide the secretariat for the Alliance and assist, through advocacy and project work, to progress their objectives of recognition, redress, services and support.
Grandparents and kinship carers
- We have extensive links with grandparents and other kinship carers and have advocated at the national level for greater support for those who are raising children and young people.
Children with severe disability
- Families Australia played a significant role in the Australian Government review of support for carers of children with profound or severe disability. Under the new Carer Payment (child) benefit, support is being provided to around 19,000 newly-eligible carers.
Violence against women and children
- Families Australia has been actively engaged in efforts to tackle the problem of violence against women and children, particularly through our leadership role in the White Ribbon Day campaign.
Substance abuse and families
- We have highlighted to the Australian Parliament and Federal policy-makers the importance of providing greater assistance to families in which there is a substance abuse issue.
National Families Week
- In May each year, Families Australia runs National Families Week, the national celebration of the vital importance of families. Over the past six years, over 500,000 Australians have participated in National Families Week community events.
Families Australia Oration
- Families Australia helps to raise public awareness through an annual Oration. The Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, delivered the inaugural Oration in 2008. The 2nd Oration was delivered by Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction Chief, Ms Christine Nixon APM.