ARACY

Did you miss the Act for Children Fouth Roundtable with Australia's National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds, Ursula Kilkelly and Laura Lundy? Great news! The recording of this fascinating webinar is now available! https://lnkd.in/gDgBQw5B In other great news, the Act For Children now has a website! Visit https://lnkd.in/grmfyKkJ to find out all the latest news on the Act for Children campaign.

Great explainer from Georgie Dent CEO of The Parenthood, on how the families that need it most will benefit from the Government's plan to scrap the activity test and provide three days of early childhood education and care for all children if they win the next election. ARACY calls on all political parties to match or improve this commitment.

ARACY welcomes the Labor Government's election commitment to expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and care, including the $1 billion Building Early Education Fund and the introduction of the 3 Day Guarantee. These reforms are essential for ensuring every child has the opportunity to start their educational journey on an equal footing. Early childhood education and care plays a crucial role in supporting children's overall health and wellbeing. We are thrilled with the plan to scrap the activity test and provide three days of early childhood education and care for all children. This is a strong step to ensuring all children thrive. These changes will help ensure fewer children start school developmentally vulnerable, setting them up for long-term success.   As part of our advocacy for universal early childhood education and care access, we call on all political parties to match or improve this commitment. Providing every child with the best start in life must be a priority we all share. Let’s work together to make early childhood education and care services accessible, affordable, and equitable for every Australian family.   Let’s ensure every Australian child, no matter where they are, has the opportunity to thrive from day one! Read the announcement here:https://lnkd.in/gmZmtM2v Find out more about ARACY's advocacy priorities: https://lnkd.in/gT5wuTyn Anthony Albanese | Jason Clare MP | Dr. Anne Aly | Amanda Rishworth | The Hon. Peter Dutton MP | Sarah Henderson | Angie Bell | The Hon. David Littleproud MP | The Australian Greens | The Parenthood | SNAICC - National Voice for our Children | Early Childhood Australia | Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) | G8 Education Ltd | Goodstart Early Learning | Affinity Education Group | C&K - The Creche and Kindergarten Association | Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) | Playgroup Australia | The Front Project

ARACY Insider 6th December 2024 edition Subscribe to our newsletters: https://lnkd.in/genqgnAj Under 25 and want to keep updated with opportunities to have your voice heard on issues that matter to you? Join our Young and Wise group: https://lnkd.in/gZte8uAB

New Resource: Child and Family Hubs Framework ARACY, in collaboration with the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership and the National Child and Family Hubs Network, is thrilled to share the webinar recording of the recent Child and Family Hubs Framework launch! This innovative framework empowers communities to design and deliver integrated hubs that bring together health, education, and social services in one welcoming space. Watch the webinar recording here: https://lnkd.in/gPdcSpQj Explore the framework documents, designed to support practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in advancing child and family wellbeing: Document 1: Background, Purposes, Underpinnings and Principles Document 2: Framework Elements Find out more: https://lnkd.in/d9KEvUHm This webinar highlights diverse perspectives, evidence, and practical resources to create equitable, innovative solutions in community child health. Let’s work together to help all of Australia’s children and families thrive!

📢 ARACY Annual Report 2024 – Out Now! We are excited to share our Annual Report for 2024, highlighting the strides we’ve made in our mission to create a brighter, more supportive future for all children and young people in Australia. With the continued dedication of our Board and team, this year we have: ✅ Strengthened partnerships through the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership. ✅ Progressed the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children, fostering smarter investments in the wellbeing of children. ✅ Advocated for essential reforms in early childhood education, youth justice, and universal healthcare. ✅ Promoted wellbeing through The Nest framework and amplified the voices of young people via Young and Wise. As we reflect on this year’s achievements, we also want to take a moment to recognise that Hawa Mohammad and Gervase Chaney will be stepping down from the ARACY board. We thank them for their significant contributions and support of ARACY over the years. While we say farewell to two remarkable leaders, we welcome Jessica Oostenbroek to the Board. Jessica, a proud Aboriginal woman of Yuggera descent brings a wealth of experience as a Senior Director with Queensland Health and as a Board member of Key Assets (Australia). We are excited about the perspective and leadership she will contribute to ARACY. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of our Board, our team, and our partners as we continue working together to create a future where every child and young person can thrive. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gifzCTme Prue Warrilow | Shamal Dass | Jenny Proimos | Dr Norman Swan | Karen Thorpe | Stephen Zubrick | Anne Cregan

Exploring What "Every Child Thriving" Looks Like Last week, our teams from across the East Coast came together in Canberra for a planning day, reflecting on how we can continue our purpose to champion all Australian children and young people to thrive. We were inspired by powerful insights: ➡ Sarah Wight from Early Childhood Australia, who we are incredibly grateful to for stepping in at the last minute, emphasised the transformative impact of investing in the early years. ➡ Caitlin Figueiredo, ACT’s Young Australian of the Year 2024, shared her bold vision for a thriving future for young people. ➡ Jamie Crosby, CEO of Families Australia, highlighted the power of collective efforts and the importance of taking practical steps to invest in supporting children. We also had the chance to collaborate informally during a visit to the stunning Australian National Botanic Gardens (on a very hot Canberra day!), connecting and reflecting on the role of nature in wellbeing. These conversations and connections reaffirmed the vital role of collaboration in building a nation where every child and young person can thrive. www.aracy.org.au Prue Warrilow | Simon Factor | Michael Hogan | Diana Harris | Amara Bains | Barbara Barker | Nicole Deen | Harriet Daly | Adam Valvasori | Kristy Noble | Lauren Renshaw | Kirrin Sampson | Thivya Supramanium | Annmarie Thomas | Josie Horne | Liz Depers | Sarah Engelmann | Melissa Toms

Protect Our Kids, Prioritise Health Proposed changes by the commercial TV industry could extend alcohol advertising by 800 hours per year, including during weekends, public holidays, and school holidays—times when children are most likely to be watching. This move not only undermines community expectations but also ignores expert advice, such as the Federal Government’s Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches to End Gender-Based Violence. The review called for restrictions on alcohol advertising during televised sport due to its link with increased domestic and family violence incidents and the high number of children watching. It’s time to put the wellbeing of children, families, and communities first. We stand with health and community organisations like Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) in urging the commercial TV industry and ACMA to reject these harmful changes. Let’s ensure children and young people grow up in a healthier, safer environment. ✋ Say no to more alcohol ads during children’s viewing hours. Read our submission to Free TV: https://lnkd.in/g6zkE_Xw #ProtectOurKids #CommunityHealth #AlcoholAdvertising #GenderBasedViolencePrevention

🎉Congratulations to Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership on the launch of the Child and Family Hubs framework! Navigating fragmented services can be overwhelming for families. That’s why Child and Family Hubs are so important—they act as a 'front door' to integrated support, bringing together health, education, and social services in one welcoming space. Learn more about the new Child & Family Hubs Framework and how it’s fostering collaboration and connection for a brighter future for children and families. Explore the resources: https://lnkd.in/d9KEvUHm

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities! This year’s theme, "Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future," highlights the transformative power of leadership driven by lived experience.   At ARACY, we believe in a future where every child and young person can thrive, and this includes recognising and valuing the voices of children and young people with disabilities. Their leadership is essential to building inclusive systems that support wellbeing, equity, and sustainability for all.   Through The Nest framework, we focus on ensuring every child’s safety, health, learning, participation, material basics, and culture and identity are supported. For children and young people with disabilities, amplifying their leadership and listening to their voices is vital to achieving these wellbeing outcomes.   ARACY is proud to advocate for initiatives like universal health care improvements, place-based approaches, and child-centred investment, which create systems that are inclusive and accessible to every child and family. By recognising and valuing the leadership of children and young people with disabilities, we can build an equitable and sustainable future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.   How can we collectively amplify the voices of young people with disabilities to drive meaningful change? Share your thoughts below!   Want to hear what young people think?  Join the waitlist for Young and Wise a collation of consultations undertaken with over 10,000 children and young people in Australia over the last five years.   Under 25 and want to have your voice heard on things that matter to you? Join our Young and Wise group!   Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gZte8uAB #DisabilityDay #IDPD Children and Young People with Disability Australia | Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) | Down Syndrome Australia | Variety, the Children's Charity | The Shepherd Centre | Vision Australia | Cerebral Palsy Alliance | NOFASD Australia | Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) | Deaf Children Australia | Dylan Alcott Foundation | Endeavour Foundation | The Department Of Social Security