World Care Day is coming up on Friday, 20 February 2026, and this year’s theme is Breaking Barriers - celebrating the strengths, achievements, and resilience of young people with a care experience.
Meet these young people smashing stigma and speaking up!
Northern Territory Young Consultant, Timothy is a passionate advocate on issues including the transition from care to independence, education for kids in care, and residential care.
Drawing on his own lived experience, he works to challenge misconceptions about young people in care and ensure their voices are heard. Some of his recent advocacy includes the “What makes a good carer” video with the Department of Children and Families, CREATE’s #SnapThatStigma campaign and appearances on the news.
Here’s how Timothy has broken barriers and smashed the stigma around growing up in out-of-home care: “I showed them that I’m just like them, but I just have it different.”
Over in South Australia, Aaliyh and B have been showing up with heart since the moment they connected with CREATE.
After completing their Speak Up training to become CREATE Young Consultants, they stepped straight into co-facilitating events, joining Youth Advisory Groups and co-delivering Worker Trainings to the Department in South Australia’s Residential Youth Workers.
Aaliyh brings warmth, strength and grounded leadership to every space she enters. Her voice holds power, and the way she shares her story helps other young people feel less alone.
B has jumped into every opportunity with purpose, honesty and a whole lot of courage. His willingness to show up for others makes a difference every single time.
Through training workers and leading CREATE events, Aaliyh and B consistently create spaces where young people feel seen, safe and welcomed.
Together, they are #BreakingBarriers
In Queensland, Young Consultant, B has been involved with CREATE for over a year now and it’s been amazing to watch her confidence grow in this short amount of time.
B has spoken up as part of CREATE’s advocacy in Queensland’s Child Safety Inquiry, she emceed the 2025 Child Protection Week Dinner, she’s written for our clubCREATE magazine, and that’s hardly the tip of the iceberg in what B has done in her time with CREATE.
She’s an absolute legend who has also recently graduated school where she received an Advocate Award for supporting her peer’s mental health.
We’ll leave you with an excerpt from a persuasive writing piece she wrote for English class because it shows how she is #BreakingBarriers and smashing stigma:
It is time we show kids in care they deserve to be cared for. They are worth it. Most importantly they aren’t another problem to be made into a case file.
…We all need to come together and prove to young people in Qld’s care system, we see them, we hear them, we believe in them. Together we can show them they are important, they are an inspiration, their story matters. What is everyone waiting for? Let’s give these kids the chance to thrive! After all they deserve it.
Ann is our National Experience to Action Board (Youth) representative from Tasmania and she has had an especially busy 6-months with CREATE Foundation, #BreakingBarriers for young people with a care experience.
Following months of planning, Ann travelled to Canberra in November 2025 with her fellow NEABY members where they met with the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek and Secretary Michael Lye to discuss building a nationally cohesive response to issues challenging child protection systems in each state and territory.
Later in the year, Ann continued important conversations with the Tasmanian Minister for Child and Youth, Jo Palmer where she introduced CREATE’s advocacy priorities and spoke about the importance of mental health support for young people with a care experience.
Ann’s insights are always powerful and leave you with a lot to think about. Here’s what she shared about breaking the cycle of domestic and family violence:
“We need education in family violence because kids in care go through it, and it follows us through our lives, and we end up in the same situations because we weren’t taught how to be loved, and how to have a sense of belonging in the world. So we let others treat us like that again, because we don’t know that it’s wrong and we don’t learn boundary setting.”
This World Care Day, we stand together in breaking barriers, challenging stigma and ensuring all children and young people reach their full potential.
Get involved in World Care Day
Young people: #SnapThatStigma photo challenge – smash a balloon with a stigma written on it. #BreakingBarriers #SnapThatStigma. Watch our World Care Day Ambassador do the challenge here.
Supporters: Print our World Care Day pledge template, share your commitment, and tag CREATE!
