The long-awaited ACWA 2024 Conference made a triumphant return on Wednesday June 5th, with over 800 guests from across Australia and New Zealand gathering at ICC Sydney over three days, to centre the critical issues impacting children, young people, and families.

Hosted for the first time in six years, ACWA 2024 held the bold ambition of unearthing new approaches to challenge the status quo and ‘reimagine our work with children, families and communities.’

The comprehensive program featured an extraordinary 130 individual sessions, from large to intimate, platforming both local and international speakers. Delegates from across the spectrum of social services, had the opportunity to hear about topics related to Aboriginal children and families, domestic and family violence, child’s rights, plus all aspects of out-of-home care and the permanency continuum.

Proceedings commenced with a heartfelt Welcome to Country delivered by Brendan Kerin from the Aboriginal Local Metropolitan Land Council. He encouraged all Australians to commit to truth-telling practices to properly understand and address the entrenched and disproportionate disadvantage facing many Aboriginal communities.

The first keynote address was presented by Professor Darcey Merritt from the University of Chicago, who guided the audience through a brief history of the racial injustice Black and Latino families face when they’re often forced to interact with child protective services in the US. Many of the devastating personal accounts were peppered with the resignation and frustration felt by families of colour, and the negative biases they encountered from agencies, simply because of their colour. A sobering reminder of the continuous discrimination facing Indigenous and colonised populations from around the world.

Professor Merritt’s research on improving early intervention and family preservation practices by elevating the voices of systems-impacted parents to prevent child removal, resonates strongly with the projects being undertaken by ACWA and many of its members.

Mid-morning sessions included a panel of Aboriginal Commissioners for Children and Young People from across the country, sharing their deep expertise and knowledge on how to promote self-determination, and practices that help keep younger people safe.

This was followed by a panel of independent oversight leaders who discussed the reportable schemes introduced across their jurisdictions, following the findings from the Child Abuse Royal Commission.

The day concluded with a panel and keynote address by Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC. As a magnetic storyteller and empathic leader, the audience was captivated with Catherine’s personal stories of what it means for Aboriginal children and families to feel ‘Safe and Supported’.

Gallery of Day 1, ACWA 2024

Day 1 Plenary Audio files

After a full day of thought-provoking sessions, guests took a short stroll across the bay to Dockside Darling Harbour for the first official social gathering of the Conference: Welcome Reception. Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC officiated the evening event, and as the first female judge of the Federal Court, shared stories on some of the meaningful interactions she’s had with community and social workers over the years.

The Voice Australia finalist for 2022, Arlo Sim, provided soulful entertainment, while guests from across the sector, connected, mingled, and digested the day’s learnings together.

View some photos from the Welcome Receptio here.

A critical spotlight on issues relating to domestic and family violence was a key focus for day two. Invited international guest, Professor Stephanie Holt from Trinity College Dublin, dove into the complexities facing families and professionals at the intersection of domestic violence and abuse, child protection and welfare intervention. Link presentation.

The data and anecdotes presented on this topical issue, provided the fuel for numerous conversation starters between colleagues, at a multi-agency ‘Family Preservation’ meet-up session during the morning tea break.

With plenty of negative rhetoric facing the child and family sector this past year, at the conclusion of the session, ACWA CEO Maree Walk, took the opportunity to switch the narrative and introduced ACWA’s new public campaign ‘Working Together For…’, which aims to publicly demonstrate the many passions and motivations of those working to improve the lives of children, families, and communities.

The campaign was launched in spectacular fashion with hundreds of delegates posing for a group photo to illustrate the collegiately across our field.

For the mid-morning program, NSW Women’s Safety Commission, Hannah Tonkin, joined the prestigious list of speakers, facilitating a panel on addressing DFV as a root cause of child protection.

Other special guests and panels included the complexities, considerations and challenges facing court decision making practices, with Qld, VIC, ACT and SA Children’s Court Judges, joining NSW Judge Ellen Skinner to share their insights and reflections.

Allambi Care’s visiting international guest, Dr. Kiaras Gharabaghi, rounded out the day with his refreshing and unorthodox presentation emphasising the importance of genuine interaction and connection with young people caught in the child protection system, particularly those in residential care.

Gallery of Day 2, ACWA 2024

Day 2 Plenary Audio files

A highlight of the Conference, the ACWA Gala Dinner and Awards Night, was celebrated against the backdrop of sparkling Sydney Harbour at Doltone House. MC’d by popular fresh comedian, Lizzy Hoo, over 400 guests were treated to a night of glamour and fun with live entertainment, including an Aboriginal dance performance and a 5-piece band, performing classic hits.

Read about the Award Winners below.

Gala Dinner and Awards Night photos

The last day of ACWA 2024 begun with an early morning keynote address by lead children social care Welsh researcher, Professor Jonathan Scourfield from Cardiff University, who delved into the question: what research evidence do we need to inform good practice in out-of-home care for children?

The program for the final day featured a mixture of masterclasses and several illuminating discussions from some of the sector’s most notable speakers, on content primarily relating to out-of-home care and child protection themes.

Post-lunch included talks on promoting equity in child protection and care systems for Aboriginal children and families. Aunty Brenda Mathews whose autobiography “The Last Daughter” was recently made into a feature film by Netflix, inspired the audience with her personal journey of healing and acceptance.

Alira Tufui from AbSec also generously shared insights and stories from her personal experiences as an Aboriginal woman, mother, daughter, deadly practitioner, changemaker and advocate, again encouraging all to continue challenging current policies as we strive for true equity for First Nations people.

The final session before Maree Walk’s Closing Address was presented by Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO of FrameWorks Institute. He invited the audience to reconsider how the critical work undertaken in the social and community services sector can be framed more effectively, and showcased in a way that speaks to the masses. He stressed the importance of language in helping to achieve the positive outcomes desired for our clients and communities.

We applaud all the presenters for their immense contributions in making ACWA 2024 a conference to remember. We’re thrilled at the response from attendees, who enthusiastically immersed themselves in absorbing new evidence-based knowledge, while engaging in robust discussions with colleagues from all corners of community and social services.

We’re excited to hear how many of these new connections will flourish and lead to new partnerships and collaborations, which will ultimately result in a better future for all children and young people.

Gallery of Day 3, ACWA 2024

Day 3 Plenary Audio files