Resources

Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies and the Centre for Community Welfare Training

ACWA reflects the responsibility of non-government agencies to be concerned with the welfare of the 'whole child' by assisting the child and young person to "find their place in the world". 

The Child and Family and Welfare Association of Australia (CAFWAA) is the national peak body representing non-government organisations working with children and young people and their families, where abuse and neglect is a major factor in determining the types of services provided.  CAFWAA is also affiliated with Families Australia.

CREATE Foundation
The CREATE Foundation (formerly the Australian Association for Young People in Care) is a consumer movement for and by children and young people aged 1–30 years who are, or have been, in care. Create issues an annual CREATE report card on the educational status of children and young people in care in Australia, which charts the progress made by Australian states and territories over the past year in improving educational outcomes for children and young people in care.

Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care
SNAICC is Australia's non-government peak body representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

The Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations
The ACCYO was established in 2001 with the goal of developing standards and a transparent accreditation process for organisations working with children and young people. It's an initiative of some of Australia's leading philanthropic trusts and foundations in partnership with community service organisations, the police, magistrates and the judiciary.

Child Wise
Child Wise is an Australian organisation working in Australia and overseas to end child sexual exploitation and abuse, and is also the Australian representative of ECPAT International (a global campaign in over 70 countries committed to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children). The work of Child Wise includes advocacy, awareness training, research, law reform, training programs, education and information provision. Child Wise has worked with governments, law enforcement authorities, the tourism and Internet industries, schools and tertiary education institutions and a wide range of non-government organisations. Its 'Choose with Care' prevention program aims to minimise the risk of child abuse occurring within voluntary and professional organisations working with children. (See details.)

Care and protection information is available from the National Child Protection Clearinghouse(viewed 7 January 2009).

Other links:

Also see the National Child Protection Clearinghouse which has an excellent selection of external links to point you to further information.

Key documents:

• Child Protection Australia is an annual series of publications (Child Welfare Series) published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
• Developing practice: The child, youth and family work journal is a journal for the child, youth and family services sector launched in Sydney in August 2001 by the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA) and the Family Support Services Association of NSW. The journal is aimed at practitioners and managers who provide programs and services for vulnerable children, young people and families. It is designed to provide an opportunity to present and discuss practices, programs, ideas and practical initiatives aimed at assisting children, young people and families. See the ACWA website for details.
• Introduction to child protection services in Victoria: see http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/childprotection/
• Moving out from the state parental home: A comparison of leaving care policies in Victoria and New South Wales, by Philip Mendes, Department of Social Work, Monash University, is a concise report comparing the support available for young people leaving state care in New South Wales and Victoria. It gives an historical overview and up-to-date comparison of the two states' systems and suggests that, of the two, NSW is leading the way overall in terms of policy. Besides its detailed references, the report outlines the major leaving care projects in both states.

Victorian initiatives:

The Children's Welfare Association of Victoria (CWAV )
The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare provides representation, professional development, research, policy and program advice, publications and resources for 85 community service organisations in the child, youth and family services sector of Victoria. For over 15 years, the centre has operated the Foster Care Project, a statewide publicity and recruitment service for home-based care in Victoria.

Berry Street Victoria
Berry Street is an independent, not-for-profit community organisation that aims to 'increase life chances and choices for children and young people who are at risk or who have experienced the trauma of family violence, child abuse and neglect'. Take Two is a service of Berry Street Victoria that provides a therapeutic service for children and young people in the Victorian child protection system.