The Association of Children's Welfare Agencies

The Association of Children's Welfare Agencies Effective reform to achieve better outcomes for communities, families, children and young people.

The Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA) is the NSW peak body for non-government community service organisations that deliver services to vulnerable children, young people and their families. We have been operating for more than 50 years and have a membership base of more than 100 agencies. Our core activities revolve around advocacy, policy development, research, consultation, member support, publications, sector conferences and seminars, projects, partnerships and sector development. ACWA also operates a learning and development division, the Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT), which is the largest non-government, not-for-profit training provider in NSW. Established in 1987, CCWT is a Registered Training Organisation committed to delivering professional learning that transforms people and communities for a better society.

The NSW OOHC Carer Survey 2026 is now open, giving foster, relative and kinship carers an important opportunity to share...
14/09/2026

The NSW OOHC Carer Survey 2026 is now open, giving foster, relative and kinship carers an important opportunity to share their experiences and help shape how carers are supported across NSW.

The survey takes around 20 minutes to complete and asks carers what is working well and where improvements are needed.

Feedback from the survey will help inform policies and services that support carers and the children and young people in their care, including improvements to training, support, communication and service delivery. It will also help track progress against the NSW Government’s commitments to carers.

ACWA encourages carers across NSW to have their say and share their experience.

The survey is voluntary and anonymous, and responses will not affect your caring role or your relationship with NSW Department of Communities and Justice or your agency.

Have your say by 31 October 2026.

Find out more: https://lnkd.in/g9JCYdq8

Complete the survey: https://lnkd.in/gWPBfM4p

12/09/2026

As National Child Protection Week comes to a close, we want to thank all the ACWA members who joined us in sharing their voices, experiences and insights throughout the week.

We heard from leaders and practitioners working across out-of-home care, foster care, family support, early intervention and other parts of the child and family sector about what helps children thrive, what supporting families early can look like, and how we can turn conversations into meaningful action.

While the perspectives were different, a common message came through strongly: keeping children safe and helping them thrive takes all of us. It means listening to children and families, acting early, building on strengths and working together to create lasting change.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the campaign, and to the thousands of people across our sector who put these principles into practice every day.

National Child Protection Week may be ending, but the work continues.💚

Every conversation matters. Let’s keep turning those conversations into action.

12/09/2026

For children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, feeling heard, understood and safe is essential.

As part of ACWA’s National Child Protection Week campaign, we’re hearing from Settlement Services International (SSI), which works with people and communities from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Tariro Mapfumo, Child Safety Specialist at SSI, highlights the importance of inclusive approaches to child safety, creating spaces where children and families feel safe to speak, and ensuring culture, language or background are never barriers to being heard.

Thank you to Tariro and SSI for adding this important perspective to the conversation and reminding us that every conversation, every voice and every child matters.

12/09/2026

As we near the end of National Child Protection Week, we’re sharing one more practitioner perspective on the importance of working alongside children and families.

Strong relationships sit at the heart of effective family support. Taking the time to listen, understand and work alongside families can help build the foundations for positive and lasting change.

Julie Wharerau, Senior Case Manager, Family Support at Anglicare, shares another practitioner perspective as part of ACWA’s National Child Protection Week campaign.

Thank you to Julie for contributing her voice, and to all the practitioners across our sector whose everyday conversations with children and families help turn support into action.

11/09/2026

Creating the conditions for children to thrive means focusing on safety, stability, connection and opportunity.

William Campbell Foundation works with children, young people and families across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, providing foster care and a range of supports focused on creating safety, stability, connection and opportunity.

Sonia Liddicoat, Chief Executive Officer of William Campbell Foundation, shares what she believes children need to thrive.

Thank you to Sonia and the William Campbell Foundation for contributing to our National Child Protection Week campaign and helping reinforce the importance of creating environments where children feel valued, supported and able to reach their potential.

11/09/2026

For children and young people in out-of-home care, relationships, stability and having their voices heard matter.

Lifestyle Solutions supports children and young people in out-of-home care, working to provide safe, stable and supportive environments where young people can build relationships, strengthen connections and have their voices heard.

Lane Bermingham, Therapeutic Specialist Foster Care at Lifestyle Solutions, shares what she believes helps children thrive. Thank you to Lane and Lifestyle Solutions for helping us keep the experiences and voices of children and young people at the centre of the conversation.

11/09/2026

What does it take to turn our commitment to children and young people into meaningful action?

Creating better outcomes for children takes more than one organisation, service or part of the system. It takes strong relationships, shared responsibility and a commitment to putting children and young people at the centre of our work.

In our final contribution from Challenge Community Services, Kathryn Davies, Head of Foster Care, shares another perspective on what meaningful action can look like.

Thank you to Kathryn and the Challenge Community Services team for contributing to ACWA’s National Child Protection Week campaign and helping keep the focus on what children and young people need to thrive.

10/09/2026

Supporting children means understanding the family, relationships and circumstances around them, and recognising where the right support at the right time can make a difference.

In another contribution from Anglicare’s Family Support team, Senior Case Manager Shahlo Resurreccion shares her perspective for National Child Protection Week.

Thank you to Shahlo and the wider Anglicare team for sharing the voices of practitioners who work alongside children and families every day.

10/09/2026

For more than 200 years, The Benevolent Society has worked alongside Australian families and communities.

The Benevolent Society has worked alongside Australian families and communities for more than 200 years, providing support across different stages of life, including services that help children and families build on their strengths and navigate challenges.

Kevin Barrow, CEO of The Benevolent Society, shares his perspective on National Child Protection Week and what it takes to turn our shared commitment to children into meaningful action.

Thank you to Kevin and The Benevolent Society for adding their voice to ACWA’s campaign.

10/09/2026

Safe, stable and nurturing relationships can make a lifelong difference for children and young people.

As part of ACWA’s National Child Protection Week campaign, we’re hearing from Adopt Change, an organisation working to improve outcomes for children and young people who cannot safely live with their birth families, while supporting families and carers.

Renée Leigh, CEO of Adopt Change, shares her perspective on why the relationships and support surrounding children are so important to helping them thrive.

Thank you to Renée and Adopt Change for contributing to the campaign and highlighting the importance of strengthening the systems and families around children.

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Level 9, 110 Sussex Street
Sydney, NSW
2000

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