This year’s theme was “Putting Children First”.
From the 6th-12th September this year was Child Protection Week, and all across Australia our teams put together a range of events, activities and opportunities for young people with an out-of-home care experience to have their say!
Here’s a wrap-up of CREATE Foundation’s Child Protection Week for 2020.
Queensland
Our team in Queensland put together not one, not two, but three events this year! Over three nights the team delivered Regional, North Queensland and Brisbane Online Dinner Parties with special guests and games galore! Each household was asked to pick a recipe to cook and share the results on the night to be judged by our special guests, with mouth-watering results! We had over 130 people join in the festivities, which also included Young Consultants, Brittany, Ida, Gemma and Toby sharing their stories. The group also played “Vegetable Trivia” and had an opportunity for everyone to share what they are grateful for.
The Queensland team also held an art competition and with a huge influx of amazing entries – it always blows us away to see how talented our members are. To view the full gallery you can head here.
New South Wales
Young consultant Taya Bates had the opportunity to speak at a panel for a webinar in association with the Office of the Children’s Guardian. Taya did an amazing job as she represented CREATE and other young people with an out-of-home care experience, sharing her experience and her insights into the system. Well done Taya!
Victoria:
Our team in Victoria pulled out all the stops to pull together a whole weeks’ worth of online events! Given the additional challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions in place, our team really gave 110% to ensure that children and young people felt valued and connected throughout Child Protection Week. They held heaps of events including art competitions, talent quests, slam poetry workshops and magicians! The week culminated in a carnival day, with prizes and fun activites running all day long.
We also wanted to share an adorable little entry to the art competition, a Spoonville entry from a young man in Victoria. Just to make the neighbours smile as they walk past – how amazing!
South Australia:
A couple of our Young Consultants in South Australia attended a dinner with the Minister to discuss key issues for young people in out of home care. Both of our young consultants did an incredible job in representing CREATE and having their say on the issues in the out of home care sector. So great to see young people having the opportunity to have their voices heard by decision makers in the sector.
Tasmania:
Our team in Tasmania partnered with key sector organisations to put together a great video about the theme of 2020’s Child Protection Week – “Putting Children First”. This video, featuring written quotes from children and young people, provides insight from both young people and sector workers as to what it would look like to really put children first in day-to-day practice.
We encourage you to take a look, listen, and reflect to see how you could optimize your practice to really put children first!
Australian Capital Territory
In the ACT our team and a group of young people had afternoon tea with the Commissioner for Children and Young people, Jodie-Griffiths-Cook. Pictured below is the Commissioner, having some fun with the young people as we played games and ate food – including pizza! We played giant Jenga and had a conversation about policies impacting young people – what the young people would like to keep in Canberra – and what they would like to take out.
Western Australia
Our team in Western Australia teamed up with Life Without Barriers. We supported a young person to be interviewed for the Life Without Barriers keynote session, where the young person answered the question, “What does Putting Children First mean to you?”. He did an awesome job, sharing his unique perspective and explaining the importance of listening to and making time for young people in care.
And of course, from the CREATE staff nationally, we wanted to put together a little something to discuss what the theme meant to each of us personally. Take a look!
