Families Australia conducts interactive policy forums that are open to members and other stakeholders, including government officials and researchers. The aim of each forum is to listen to the views of participants about issues facing families and to provide the latest information on national family policy, practice and research.
Major issues arising from the policy forums are analysed in light of research evidence and inform Families Australia’s policy advice to the Australian Government and Parliament.
Significant growth of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector is envisaged over the next 5 to 10 years. This policy forum discusses the importance of the growth of the ACCO sector and how non-Indigenous controlled organisations can collaboratively support the development of the ACCO sector.
Register for this event here
Following the Federal budget, changing economic circumstances and the development of responses to the long-term impact of widespread natural disasters, the upcoming policy forum, continues the conversation on economic hardship and poverty faced by many in our communities. As we approach this year’s festive season, we must ensure the circumstances of families and children experiencing poverty and disadvantage remain firmly front of mind for policy makers and service providers alike.
This policy forum would also be helpful for those seeking to prepare a submission to the Australian Senate’s Inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia (submissions close 3 February 2023).
This upcoming policy forum aims to discuss ways of supporting children and young people with disability through a variety of challenging contexts such as family violence, the COVID pandemic and the challenges for families navigating systems such the NDIS.
This policy forum explored ways of addressing the challenges of the increased demand for child welfare services through a resilient and appropriately skilled workforce, which is inclusive of workers from diverse backgrounds, including First Nations peoples and those with lived experience.
Families Australia partnered with the Research School of Population Health at the Australian National University to discuss the vital role of families at the intersection of health and social policy, what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for research, education, policy, and practice.
View video: ‘Think health? Think Family’ National Policy Forum
24 March 2021
This policy forum sought to elevate issues around rights, safeguarding and policy gaps for children and young people with disability across a range of portfolios and professions and build understanding in national public policy settings. The forum was co-hosted by Families Australia and Children and Young People with Disability Australia.
View video: ‘Recognising and promoting rights: children and young people with disability’
Mr Joe Hedger, Director, Indigenous Sector Practice at EY, addressed Families Australia’s NAIDOC Week Policy Forum on ‘Reimagining Indigenous wellbeing now and into the future’. Joe is a proud Bundjalung man whose family come from the Aboriginal community of Baryulgil on the Far North coast of NSW.
View video: Reimagining Indigenous wellbeing now and into the future – Joe Hedger
Families Australia Report: Reimagining Indigenous wellbeing now and in the future – Joe Hedger
Dean Parkin presented a Families Australia Policy Forum on ‘Finding a Voice through the Uluru Statement From The Heart’. Dean was closely involved in the Referendum Council process that resulted in the historic ‘Uluru Statement From The Heart’ and continues to advocate for constitutional and structural reform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. His talk highlighted how the Uluru Statement may enhance the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the affect this may have on improving outcomes.
View video: Finding a Voice through the ‘Uluru Statement From The Heart’ – Dean Parkin
Families Australia Report: Finding a Voice through the ‘Uluru Statement From The Heart’
A public forum and national roundtable, co-hosted with the Australian National University, evaluated progress since the Australian Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme was announced in 2009 and discussed next steps for advancing paid parental leave policy in Australia. The Forum was a collaboration with scholars from the Work and Family Policy Roundtable, a research network of 32 academics from 17 universities and research institutions with expertise on work, care and family policy. It was the sixth in a series convened by Families Australia since 2015 as part of its Building Stronger Australian Families policy forum series.
Presentations from 22 August Policy Forum
Published papers from 22 August Policy Forum
In 2015, Families Australia commenced a policy forum series entitled ‘Building Stronger Australian Families’, a set of expert-led discussions about what families need in order to thrive in coming decades.
Participate in a policy forum by joining Families Australia.