National Child Protection Week 2021

Anne Hollonds is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner. Formerly Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, for 23 years Anne was Chief Executive of government and non-government organisations focussed on research, policy and practice in child and family wellbeing. As a psychologist Anne has worked extensively in frontline practice, including child protection, family violence, mental health, child/family counselling, parenting education and community development. Anne has two small grandchildren.

Leanne McLean was appointed Tasmania’s Commissioner for Children and Young People in 2018. Her role is to promote the rights and wellbeing of Tasmanian children and young people—including ensuring that their rights are considered and respected by adults when making decisions that may affect children. Leanne has a wealth of experience as a leader in social policy development, including working at the coal face with young people and in senior public service and government advisory roles. is passionate about providing a voice for children and young people, believes strongly in the transformative power of education and early intervention, and the value of every young person in shaping the future of Tasmania. She is a proud Tasmanian from the deep south of the state.

Alison Stone is a Palawa woman who lives and works in Lutruwita. Alison has a strong commitment and an active approach to social justice for over 30 years. Alison commenced working with children and young people at the age of 15 years after completing her high school years. Alison, a PhD student, and a Lecturer at the University of Tasmania has a background teaching in early childhood and primary school settings. Alison advocated and received funding from the Commonwealth Government to establish and deliver programs for Aboriginal parents/carers. In 2011 Alison established the AllStars Program in the Glenorchy municipality for children aged 6 – 12 years. The AllStars program addressed several barriers to children and young people in the area and provided opportunities for them to choose from a range of activities for a gold coin donation. The activities were a collaboration by a range of people in the community coming together to create opportunities within an equitable framework for children and young people to build their confidence, ability and sense of self.

Sister Brigid Arthur is the Project Coordinator of the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project. She has been a tenacious fighter for the rights of some of the most vulnerable members of our community for decades. Sister Arthur acted as the litigation guardian for eight students from across Australia in a landmark case seeking to block the expansion of Whitehaven Coal’s mine in New South Wales. The Federal Court found that Australian children are owed a duty of care by the Federal Minister for the Environment when considering the expansion of a coal project which would lead to CO2 emissions.

Diana Harris is ARACY’s Lead for Knowledge Translation. Diana’s career has encompassed local and federal government, community engagement, policy development, program delivery and management consultancy. She is a well-regarded project leader and performance professional with international experience in children’s policy, community engagement, and public housing policy, including the implementation of Getting it Right For Every Child in the Scottish Borders and City of Edinburgh Neighbourhood Partnerships.

Kate Colvin is the national spokesperson for the housing and homelessness campaign Everybody’s Home. Everybody’s Home launched in 2018 to campaign for a fairer housing system in Australia. It has grown to become an alliance of over 300 partner organisations and more than 28,000 community supporters. Kate is also Deputy CEO of the Council to Homeless Persons, the peak body for the homelessness sector in Victoria.

Nat Kendall-Taylor leads the FrameWorks Institute US in conducting research on public understanding and framing of social issues and supporting non-profit organisations to implement findings. A psychological anthropologist, Nat publishes widely on communications research in the popular and professional press and lectures frequently in the United States and abroad. He is a senior fellow at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a visiting professor at the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine, and a fellow at the British-American Project.

Annette Fuller has an extensive history working in community development, early childhood care and education and service system reform. Before moving to Tasmania in 2017, Annette spent over 10 years working in Central Australia with Aboriginal communities on a range of community development initiatives focusing on integrated early childhood services and systems for both the Territory Government and non-government organisations. Prior to this Annette worked with the Australian Government in a range of policy and programming areas including early childhood care and development. Annette is a passionate advocate for social justice and the need to get it right in the early years so we get it right for life!

Meron Looney is the Northern Territory Manager of NAPCAN and has lived in Darwin for more than 27 years. She has broad experience in working with others to develop resources and coordinate programs to promote safe and nurturing relationships between caregivers and their children. Meron commenced working at NAPCAN more than four years ago – and loves their focus on developing partnerships to help children and young people thrive. She continues to work with organisations and communities to develop and deliver inclusive, culturally safe resources and programs that support communities and families to promote the safety and emotional wellbeing of their children and young people.

April Lawrie was appointed the inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in South Australia in 2018. Her role is to promote the rights of Aboriginal children and young people and to address systemic issues to improve their safety and wellbeing, particularly in the areas of health, education, youth justice and child protection. April is a proud Aboriginal woman and heralds from the Mirning and Kokatha people from the Far West Coast of South Australia. She strongly believes that we need to bring the voices of Aboriginal children and young people and their communities into how we are designing and delivering health, education, justice and child protection culturally informed services so that Aboriginal children and young people can flourish. And that to improve services and outcomes, we need to recognise the solutions coming from our Aboriginal communities and families and act upon them in a meaningful way.

Catherine Liddle is the CEO for SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, the national non-governmental peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children that works for the fulfilment of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, in particular to ensure their safety, development and wellbeing. An Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia, Catherine has been a leading advocate in upholding the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on a national, regional and local level. Catherine has held senior management positions in First Nations organisations including First Nations Media and Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships, as well as within the Northern Territory Education Department, the ABC and NITV/SBS. A journalist by trade, Catherine’s motivation has always been to drive change that leads to positive outcomes and options for First Nations people.

Belinda Field has been the CEO of Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Services Ltd since 2015. She is a proud Wiradjuri woman living on Darkinjung country, and is passionate about working with Aboriginal communities to work together to dismantle the systems of power and privilege that maintain inequality and injustice. Belinda’s career began in Child Protection and Out of Home Care 26 years ago with NSW Department of Community Services. She has served on many boards including for the Central Coast Local Health District, the Barang Regional Alliance, the Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation and the Aboriginal Medical and Health Research Council of NSW. Belinda’s strengths are building relationships with government and non-government agencies on behalf of the community, based on respect and a commitment to protecting the rights and aspirations of the Aboriginal community.

Coz Crosscombe is an Australian who spent the last 28 years living and working in Philadelphia, USA. He is married to Joyce, who he says is far more talented than he is, and has 4 kids of mixed ethnicity, who he also states are more amazing than he is.
Coz’s primary focus has been around collaborative approaches to solving complex systemic issues in marginalised communities.  He has predominately done this from a faith based approach, seeking real community transformation. He was the former director of the Center for Urban Engagement at Cairn University, holds a doctorate of ministry in complex urban systems from Gordon-Connell Seminary and is co-author of the book Place Matters. Coz and his family recently moved back to Australia, and live in the Mt Druitt area of Sydney.  He works for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney around engagement in marginalised communities.  He also continues to consult in the United States, and is a board member for Esperanza Health Clinic, Simple Homes and The Simple Way, all organisations committed to working in local community to bring transformation.

Marly Wells manages family and community engagement for Connected Beginnings in Alice Springs, and is part of the Child Friendly Alice initiative – which aims to help organisations to work together so every child can get the best possible start in life, and to grow up happy, healthy and strong. Marly has Warlpiri and white Australian ancestry. She studied sociology at The University of Melbourne. Marly is passionate about system reform and equity to help every single child grow and learn the way they deserve.

Meron Looney is currently the NT Manager at the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN). She is a qualified social worker and has worked with children, young people and their families for 30 years including in government departments, correctional services, NGOs and education. Meron has extensive experience developing resources and training packages to support workers, parents and carers to effectively respond to the needs of children and young people and is passionate about improving the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and families.

Helen Connolly became South Australia’s first Commissioner for Children and Young People in April 2017. The position was established under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act 2016. The Commissioner promotes and advocates for the rights, development and wellbeing of all children and young people in South Australia, with a special focus to engage with and listen to children who aren’t usually heard. Helen has 30 years’ experience as a leader in human services. Throughout her career, Helen has taken an active advocacy role on the main policy issues that impact on the wellbeing of Australian families and children, with a strong focus on early intervention and prevention strategies.

Mary Sayer joined Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) as Chief Executive Officer in July 2019. Over her career she has worked across policy and research, advocacy and service delivery to progress positive outcomes for children and young people, and the broader determinants of social wellbeing. She has family experience of disability as a parent, and is a passionate advocate for the rights of children and young people.

Sally Robinson is a Professor in Disability and Community Inclusion at Flinders University. Sally conducts research with children, young people and adults with disability about what helps them feel safe, well and happy at difficult times in their lives. Most of her work is done in teams that include people with disability as researchers as well as asking them for their views. She also works with governments and organisations about how to listen to the things that matter to disabled people.

Kay Barnard is a young queer non-binary autistic person living in Boorloo (Perth) on Whadjuk Noongar land. They are a graduate CYDA’s Young Leaders program and currently work with the Youth Disability Advocacy Network and the Youth Affairs Council of WA on accessibility and inclusion initiatives in Western Australia. They are in their final semester of a Bachelor of Science degree, completing a research project on the accessibility of greenspaces in the Perth metropolitan region for disabled young people and writing guidelines on the universal design of greenspaces. Kay is an avid birdwatcher, and they are passionate about the inclusion of young disabled people in issues that affect their communities.

Tasha Lawton is an experienced media professional with over 20 years’ experience in storytelling and branded, short and long form content. Spanning global broadcast, online and independent client platforms. She has spent years leading teams and working with, building and developing national and international brand partnerships and stakeholder integrity both in Australia and the UK. Tasha has written curriculum courses for Universities and more recently created and developed her own comprehensive series of curriculum aligned resources for kids in years 5-10, covering alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, gender based violence, periods, sex, sexuality and suicide and self harm. Tasha is also a qualified Counsellor.

Holly O’Sullivan Williams has evolved in her educational leadership roles from Drama Coordinator, Head of Year 10 and Director of Community Engagement at Hillbrook Anglican School to Dean of Students and Academic Welfare and now Deputy Principal at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School. She is a mentor for middle leaders looking to move into leadership positions. She is passionate when it comes to developing and fostering young leaders and created a student leadership program that is innovative and stems from her research in social change, student voice and agency. In 2020, Holly was awarded a fellowship from ACEL Queensland acknowledging and celebrating her commitment to advancing educational leadership in support of students, and the spirit of optimism, resilience and hope she creates across the profession. She has a keen interest in writing policies which not only meet legislative requirements but also the unique needs and culture of a school. Further research in gender studies have inspired her to create school procedures that are inclusive and also, effective in improving student learning outcomes.

Sammy Bruderer is NAPCAN’s Queensland State Manager and National Manager Child Safe Organisations. Sammy has worked in the sector for thirteen (13) years and is passionate about promoting the importance of prevention at all levels of the child protection sector from primary through to tertiary. With an academic background in social work, her career has involved front line work alongside children, families and communities in both the tertiary and non-government sectors, in emergency medicine as a first responder to sexual assault, domestic violence and trauma, and within the homelessness support sector. With a specific focus on promoting and developing child safe organisational culture, Sammy’s work at NAPCAN includes program and resource development, consultation and advocacy at State and Federal levels, and the development of whole-of-community engagement campaigns. Sammy strongly believes that fostering prevention of abuse and neglect, through the lens of shared guardianship and whole-of-community engagement, is the best answer to Australia’s child protection crisis and will ensure greater outcomes for all children, families, organisations, and the broader community.

Anne Hollonds is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner. Formerly Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, for 23 years Anne was Chief Executive of government and non-government organisations focussed on research, policy and practice in child and family wellbeing. As a psychologist Anne has worked extensively in frontline practice, including child protection, family violence, mental health, child/family counselling, parenting education and community development. Anne has two small grandchildren.

Jodie Griffiths-Cook is the ACT Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner. In her role, Jodie is responsible for upholding children’s rights, including by engaging with children and young people to find out what is important to them and what they think about important societal issues. Jodie uses what she hears from children and young people to let government, service providers, parents/carers and other community members know what they can do differently to better support children and young people in the ACT, especially when they make decisions that impact children and young people. With over 25 years’ experience in human services, Jodie is committed to doing everything she can to promote a child-safe, child-friendly Canberra.

Moo Baulch is the Director of Primary Prevention at Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre (WAGEC). She has a career-long commitment to addressing and preventing violence against women and LGBTIQ people, shining a light on vulnerability and promoting human rights in Australia, UK, Spain and SE Asia. Moo led peak body DVNSW through an era of significant change at a time of growing public interest in the issue of GBV and continues to work with private, public and NFP organisations to challenge violence-supportive attitudes. Moo’s proud to be part of a vibrant, positive and intersectional international feminist movement that seeks to improve the system for those who are most excluded. Moo speaks fluent Spanish, is a proud queer parent to two young children and lives on Gadigal land that was never ceded.

Tracy Adams has more than 30 years experience with yourtown (Kids Helpline) and was appointed CEO in 2008.  Over this time Tracy has overseen significant company growth, including expansion of services to children and young people, increases in income as well as a greatly enhanced advocacy agenda, including contributions to reforms related to child protection.  Tracy has frequently addressed Government enquiries into the welfare of Australian children and young people, and regularly contributes to social commentary on issues that are affecting their lives through interaction with the media. Tracy holds a number of board positions, and is a member of child protection committees across multiple jurisdictions including: Northern Territory Prevention Alliance, Out of the Dark Steering Committee (Qld) and Child Safe Sectors Leadership Group – National.  In her spare time Tracy is also an executive advisor to the QUT – Executive MBA program.

Dr Ali Fogarty is a clinical psychologist and research fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Her research is focused on understanding ways to promote the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people, and their families experiencing adversity.

Dr Elizabeth Seeley-Wait is a clinical psychologist and internationally published researcher. In 2007, she was selected to spend a year furthering her experience as a Fellow at the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University. She has particular expertise in working with children, adolescents and families, and has been treating people of all ages for over 15 years.