CREATE’s monthly Advocacy Wrap Ups provide regular updates on our latest advocacy for improving the lives of children and young people with an out-of-home care experience.
Our Wrap Ups include:
- CREATE’s latest submissions on issues including youth justice, residential care, housing and more.
- Media releases and statements about current issues affecting children and young people in care.
- Relevant news and research in the sector so you can catch up on what has happened over the last month.
- A monthly advocacy focus. This month it’s NEABY’s visit to Parliament House.
- Consultation opportunities for children and young people to ensure that their lived experiences and voices are heard in decision-making about the out-of-home care system in Australia.
Please share our Wrap Ups far and wide! If you have any feedback, email marketing@create.org.au
November advocacy focus
NEABY go to Canberra to drive national change for kids in care and care leavers
The National Experience to Action Board (Youth) went to Canberra this month with a call for action to change out-of-home care experiences and outcomes. Board members called on Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers and departments to respond to the Statement of advocacy priorities, and Passport to Success; and shared Australia’s first and only Charter for Young Parent’s in out-of-home care (to be launched in early 2026).
All Ministers and Department Leaders responsible for Child Protection have received the documents – and have been invited to pledge their support and do what they can to change legislation, policy and service delivery design to ensure safe and thriving childhoods and bright futures for children and young people in their care.
NEABY members met with Minister Tanya Plibersek and also the Secretary Michael Lye, Department of Social Services to talk about their Statement of Advocacy Priorities and approach to building a nationally cohesive response, bringing solutions to the systemic challenges and failures across child protection throughout Australia. Stay tuned for updates in 2026.
CREATE Updates
CREATE participated in the Accountable Together National Child Rights Symposium hosted by 54 Reasons, bringing together young leaders, advocates, commissioners and academics, including National Children’s Commissioner Deb Tsorbaris and Juliet Harris from Together – the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights. The gathering focused on strengthening collective accountability for children’s rights, particularly within systems where rights are most at risk, and explored how communities can better mobilise to uphold children as active participants in civic life.
News
CREATE CEO Imogen Edeson was interviewed by the Australian Childhood Foundation on our expertise in youth participation and our landmark, This Matters to Us report. Read the article.
CREATE Young Consultant, Jayden spoke to SBS News about the worries of young Australia in 2025. Listen now.
Hearing from young people with a care experience living with disability on International Day of People with a Disability. Read our post sharing their voices and words of advice.
Opportunities
Callout for applications for the first-ever Global Children’s Taskforce on Care Reform. Apply before Friday, 19 December.
Are you under 27, have a care experience and choosing tertiary education? The Sisters of Charity Foundation offers a university scholarship valued at up to $30,000 over the duration of your course, and a TAFE scholarship valued at $5,000 per year for the duration of your course. Apply before Monday, 5 January.
Callout for registered carers to participate in a study exploring the lived experiences of carers during the first hours to week of a child or young person coming into placement. Download the flyer.
CREATE Updates
CREATE attended the Signs of Safety Conference which was a valuable opportunity to engage with practitioners, share insights, and strengthen our collaborative efforts to improve outcomes for children and young people in care. A highlight was the participation of six of our Young Consultants, three of whom were invited to speak about their lived experiences in out-of-home care. Watch their video from the day.
CREATE joined the 16 Days in WA campaign, standing strong against gender-based violence. Listen to CREATE Young Consultants, Annabell, Jess, V, Charlie and Cheyenne share powerful video messages. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign that runs every year from 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) through to 10 December (Human Rights Day).
CREATE updates
Opportunities
CREATE Updates
CREATE Foundation has provided our fourth submission to the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland’s Child Safety System on child protection litigation. Read our submissions here.
CREATE submitted feedback to the Queensland Mental Health Commission’s draft Shifting Minds: The Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan 2023 – 2028. Through this feedback, CREATE elevated the voices of young people as shared through youth advisory groups, with a particular emphasis on the fact that young people growing up in out-of-home care need timely access to assessment, diagnosis, intervention and ongoing support that is cohesive and coordinated.
An Extended Post Care Support (EPCS) governance group meeting was recently held to thank members for their contributions to the program’s evaluation and to outline priorities for scheduled meetings in 2026. The group’s focus is on supporting the implementation of recommendations to improve the experience of all young people receiving the transition support package.
Opportunities
CREATE’s Advocacy team will be visiting Cairns and Toowoomba in early 2026 for consultations with young people up to age 25. We are seeking young people’s views on how the system can be improved in relation to early intervention to prevent young people from entering the child protection system, experiences of kinship, foster and residential care, reunification and self-placing. Email us at qld@create.org.au if you would like to receive updates about our visits.
CREATE updates
Voices into Action: How young people influence policy. Lachlan (CREATE Young Consultant) co-presented alongside Tasha (NSW Advocacy Lead) and Chris (Operations Manager) at the 2025 Youth Work Conference. The presentation emphasised that it is a human right for children and young people to have a say in decisions that impact their life and highlighted that children and young people are ready and capable. Lachlan shared key insights and perspective of what participation looks and feels like for young people and spoke to examples of this in action. The attendees were supported to workshop how children and young people might be supported to participate in and influence policy within their workplaces.
CREATE Updates
CREATE Foundation made a submission to the Pre-Budget Release 2025-2026. Our submission highlighted the voices of young people to seek a refocus on programs that will support basic rights and real-life needs for those with a care experience. Read our submission.
CREATE provided feedback on youth justice reform in Tasmania. The Department for Education, Children and Young People has responded to our submission advising that it will be carefully considered for the revised version of the 24/7 Youth Bail Support Model.
CREATE Update
The recent Child Safe Sectors Leadership Group meeting, held in Melbourne by the National Office for Child Safety, focused on ‘embedding the voices of children and young people’ and included a Youth Panel with CREATE Young Consultant, Alicia and Commissioner’s Panel facilitated by our Young Consultant, Ruby. We’d like to acknowledge our Young Consultants and the other young panelists from NAPCAN and Children and Young People with Disability Australia for speaking their truth and using their lived experiences to advocate for a better future for children and young people.
CREATE Foundation alongside Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG) members Hayley and Shaini, participated in a panel discussion at a leadership forum hosted by the Outer Gippsland Local Site Executive in Sale, Gippsland. The forum brought together government and agency leaders (Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, the Department of Education, Victoria Police and the Gippsland Public Health Unit) to strengthen cross-system collaboration and improve outcomes for young people transitioning from care.
Shaini also took part in a keynote discussion led by Meena Singh, A/Principal Commissioner and Commissioner for Aboriginal Children, reflecting on opportunities for government departments to better support young people.
News
The Government’s ‘Adult Time for Violent Crime’ policy will not improve public safety and is likely to cause significant harm, CREATE says. Read more.
Commissioner Meena Singh has announced that she will conclude her role as Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in December 2025, after three years of dedicated service in the position. CREATE Foundation wishes to acknowledge and sincerely thank Commissioner Singh for her significant contribution to children’s rights, youth participation, and for her genuine engagement with young people and the sector. Her legacy will continue to shape advocacy and reform efforts for Aboriginal children and young people for years to come.
In a tribute to Commissioner Singh, Young Consultant Shaini said:
“Working alongside Meena at the Commission for Children and Young People has been a great pleasure. Her encouragement and support led with heart —it is something I hold high. How inspiring to see her true focus and drive for her work and her dedication to children and young people. Thank you Meena for all of your hard work!”
Now here’s a message from Meena to you.
CREATE Updates
CREATE hosted a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) attended by Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Michael Pettersson. Children and young people highlighted opportunities for change in the areas of transition supports, standard of living and housing, education, interstate collaboration and direct support and intervention by the Minister to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people with a care experience. Thank you for coming along to hear directly from those with lived experience, Minister.
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