ARACY

All parts of ARACY were represented at the National Child and Family Hubs Network conference in Melbourne last week.   Rosie Bridge (Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children), Kirrin Sampson (ARACY), Sophie Morson (Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership), and Megan Enders (WA Children's Funders Alliance).   With Kirrin also attending a dinner meeting with the NCFHN steering committee the night before. The Conference brought families, Child and Family Hub (Hub) practitioners, researchers, advocates, and policymakers together - over 150 people in all - to connect and learn from one another. Hubs are, of course, The Nest in action! And current significant systems change has meant that hubs are gaining considerable attention and support as a way to meet children and families’ needs in a place-based, efficient, child-centred, strengths-based, collaborative, and holistic way.   Particularly delightful and powerful was the use of theatre sports from the Melbourne Playback Theatre Company to highlight some of the key takeaways and reflections from the day! Thank you, and a huge congrats to the NCFH Network team on a fantastic and valuable event. Speakers included: 🔸 Uncle Bill Nicholson, Wurundjeri Elder, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation 🔸 The Hon Dr. Jess Walsh, Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth 🔸 Prof Edward Melhuish 🔸 Mandy Taylor, SNAICC - National Voice for our Children 🔸 Lived experience and community voices panel: Kenny Duke, Heidi Denner, Lee Constable 🔸 Hub leadership panel: Alex Blaszak, Cassy Bishop, Tracey Howard, Veronica O'Brien 🔸 Policy, partnerships and advocacy panel: Dr Suzy Honisett, Mandy Taylor, Frances Martin, Prof Sharon Goldfeld AM A big thank you to our partners and funders, without whom rich learning and connecting experiences like this would not be possible: Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) | The Royal Children's Hospital | Centre for Community Child Health Paul Ramsay Foundation | The Ian Potter Foundation | Minderoo Foundation

The State of Australia’s Children 2025  Wednesday, 10 Dec | 12:00 - 13:00 AEDT | Online ARACY, UNICEF Australia and the Minderoo Foundation invite you to a webinar following the launch of “The State of Australia’s Children” – a flagship report and comprehensive picture of the wellbeing of children and youth across the nation.   Enriching the latest publicly available data with the perspectives of Australia's children and young people, The State of Australia’s Children report is a holistic view of how the country’s youth are faring.   Grounded in the Australian Children’s Wellbeing Index, developed by UNICEF Australia and ARACY, the report: ➡️ Explores wellbeing outcomes for children across The Nest's six domains ➡️ Identifies the megatrends shaping the future of today’s kids ➡️ Outlines the next steps for governments to ensure all children flourish In addition to areas of strength and progress, The State of Australia’s Children highlights the persistent structural inequalities and emerging risks that threaten the potential of tomorrow’s generation.   Together at the launch, we will reaffirm the need for children to be at the centre of our national priorities by stating the case for more targeted, coordinated investments that will help every child thrive.   This webinar will explore the key findings of the report, bring The State of Australia’s Children report to life and show how to turn data into decisions. You’ll also hear directly from young people who contributed to the report, briefing you on what they need to thrive in 2025.   Register now: https://lnkd.in/gqRVc7HT

If you missed the Future Healthy Countdown launch webinar on Monday, the recording is now available! https://lnkd.in/gBtEbAzP

The Future Healthy Countdown 2030 is a collaboration between ARACY, Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth). Launched today, the latest Future Healthy Countdown 2030 supplement to the Medical Journal of Australia explores how learning and employment pathways shape children and young people’s health and wellbeing.   It also features the Countdown’s first Progress Report, showing that many children and young people are being left behind. The good news is that policy solutions are within reach – and strongly supported by most Australians.   Join the growing coalition of organisations backing these policy actions for a healthier, fairer future: https://lnkd.in/gvpn2Dvq   Read the full Supplement here: https://lnkd.in/gZz9t-zF   #FutureHealthyCountdown2030

➡️Don't forget to register for today's webinar: 11:00–12:00 AEDT for the Future Healthy Countdown 2030 webinar. https://lnkd.in/gwvdiKMd Can't make that time? Register to receive the recording.

Don’t miss out! Join us this Monday, 10 November, 11:00–12:00 AEDT for the Future Healthy Countdown 2030 webinar. https://lnkd.in/gwvdiKMd Australia has the tools to help every child and young person thrive — yet many wellbeing outcomes have stalled or worsened. This webinar will unpack the First Progress Report from Future Healthy Countdown 2030, published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Using ARACY’s Nest Framework, the report tracks 22 key outcomes children and young people need to thrive, and outlines eight actionable policy steps — strongly supported by the community but not yet reflected in policy. Hear from an inspiring panel of speakers: 🎙️ Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis, Project Manager, Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) 🎙️ Dr Kate Lycett, Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University 🎙️ Professor Sharon Goldfeld AM, Director, Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital; Theme Director, Population Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) 🎙️ Prue Warrilow, CEO, ARACY 🎙️ Professor Anna Peeters, AM, FAHMS, CF, GAICD, CEO, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) 🎙️ Professor Pasi Sahlberg, Professor in Educational Leadership, University of Melbourne 🎙️ Planning Saw, Youth Advocate and Researcher, Working Group Member, Future Healthy Countdown 2030 Discover how organisations and policymakers can use these insights to: ➡️ Drive advocacy ➡️ Build public awareness ➡️ Inform policy ➡️ Strengthen accountability Monday 10 November | 11:00 – 12:00 AEDT | Online Register now to explore how evidence can drive action for the wellbeing of current and future generations of Australian children. https://lnkd.in/gwvdiKMd

It was a privilege for ARACY to attend the launch of The Adolescent Man Box at the National Press Club of Australia, addressed by Matt Tyler, Executive Director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services, and Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, international expert in domestic and family violence.   This Australian-first study surveyed 1,400 adolescents of all genders to explore the extent to which The Man Box, rigid masculine norms are endorsed and how these beliefs are connected to mental health, bullying, violence, intimate partner relationships, risk-taking behaviours, and engagement with pornography. The findings also shed light on young people’s online lives and experiences of image-based and technology-facilitated abuse.   They also highlight the importance of listening to young people, something ARACY does through our Young & Wise program, to ensure youth perspectives inform policy and practice so adolescents can grow up healthy, confident, and connected.   Representing ARACY were Annmarie Thomas, Barbara Barker, and Kirrin Sampson, joining discussions on how we can support Australian adolescents to grow up with a sense of belonging, connection, and purpose in their own lives.   At ARACY, we know that addressing adolescent wellbeing requires a holistic, multi-dimensional approach — spanning mental health, education, family and community support, social services, and digital inclusion — all captured in The Nest, our national framework for child and youth wellbeing. This is why we advocate for a Federal Minister for Children through the Act for Children Campaign, ensuring policies across portfolios work together to support all children and young people to thrive, rather than leaving their needs fragmented and siloed.    We also enjoyed sharing a table with Ben Vasiliou from The Man Cave and Tania Farha from Safe and Equal, both doing much-needed and important work to promote gender equality and respectful relationships. Read more about The Adolescent Man Box: https://lnkd.in/gj77vb3t Read more about The Nest: https://lnkd.in/ggzTTygb Join the Act For Children campaign: https://lnkd.in/grmfyKkJ The Australian Child Maltreatment Study: https://www.acms.au/ Anne Hollonds | Deb Tsorbaris | Daryl Higgins

Great to see ARACY's Kirrin Sampson attending the launch of the 2025 Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) in Canberra yesterday.

Are you between 16 and 24 years old? (or know someone who is) Are you tired of not being heard? We hear you.   In our recent roundtable, young people told us that contraception advice in Australia can be confusing, outdated and often irrelevant for them: “It often feels inaccessible, too extensive and having to speak to a GP is hard.”   The Government heard you too — and now they want your help to fix it! ARACY and Healthdirect Australia are hosting two new paid roundtables to co-design a new contraception advice tool.   And we want to know what you think.   This is your chance to: ✅ Share what real sexual health support looks like ✅ Help make online info clearer, safer, and more inclusive ✅ Get paid $60 for your time   ➡️ Choose one session (6–8 pm, 24 or 25 Nov) ➡️ Online via Teams ➡️ Apply by Mon 10 Nov   Your voice = better support for young people   Find out more and apply now: https://lnkd.in/gbhR9mMW Please share with your networks and help us get the word out! PROJECT ROCKIT | Minus18 Foundation | batyr | Foundations for Tomorrow.org | LGBTIQ+ Health Australia | ACON | National Youth Commission Australia | Australian Youth Affairs Coalition | Youth Action NSW | Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA) | Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) | headspace | ACOSS Australian Council of Social Service | Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP) | Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC) | Life Without Barriers | Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network | Youth Affairs Council Victoria | Centre for Multicultural Youth | Queensland Family and Child Commission | The Y Australia | The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA)| Children and Young People with Disability Australia

Are you ARACY's next CEO? Following our recent announcement that ARACY CEO Prue Warrilow will be leaving in early 2026, we’re now searching for our next leader. This is a pivotal time for ARACY and for the communities we serve. We’re looking for a creative, adaptive, and visionary CEO to help drive systems change and strengthen collaboration across sectors — all to improve the wellbeing of children and young people across Australia. If you’re a proven leader who thrives on building relationships, navigating complexity, and achieving meaningful impact, this is a rare opportunity to shape the next chapter of ARACY’s story. Know someone who could be the right fit? Please share or tag them below. PLEASE APPLY ONLINE: https://lnkd.in/gemufp_W