2025 Child Protection and Family Support Symposium

28 November 2025

CF&KC-SA were pleased to attend the 2025 Child Protection and Family Support Symposium held on Friday 21st November in Pt Augusta, hosted by the Honourable Katrine Hildyard, Minister for Child Protection, and emceed by Professor Leah Bromfield. It was an opportunity for our Board Chairperson Nancy Penna, Carer Council Project Lead Lauren Deer and Carer Council Chair Lorraine Joy to join carer families, young people, sector leaders, government and non-government organisations at this forum.

This was an opportunity for us as the peak body for foster and kinship carers to hear:

  • Keynote speaker presentations of Professor Daryl Higgins, and Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People Dale Agius

  • Various initiatives of SAPOL, SA Health, Department for Education, Headspace, and Port Adelaide Football Club that can support young people and families.

  • Lived experience reflections of young people, foster carers, kinship carers, and a parent.

  • Work in the sector on strengthening and supporting families.
  • Closing remarks and reflections from Jackie Bray, Chief Executive of DCP, and the Honourable Katrine Hildyard, Minister for Child Protection

This year, the symposium focussed on issues faced by those who reside in regional South Australia. With nearly 40% of carer households located in regional SA, it was a welcome shift in discussions to ensure regional voices and experiences are reflected in conversations, including a lived experience panel who shared their valuable insights about the benefits and challenges facing regional foster and kinship carers and young people.

Nicole, reflecting on the panel discussion said:

When I think about foster care out here in the regions, I often find myself reflecting on how hard it is to separate the personal from the professional. Often people see foster care as a “role” you take on, something that sits neatly outside your everyday life. But the truth is, caring isn’t just a role, it becomes part of who you are, your everyday normal and that brings challenges that aren’t always visible to others.

We (Carers) are just ordinary people trying to juggle the child protection system alongside family life and work. There’s no way to keep those things in separate boxes, they overlap constantly. Balancing work, family, and the needs of children is tough. And sometimes, there’s this perception of judgment if it looks like we’re not prioritizing the child (in care) enough but in reality, we’re doing everything we can to keep life stable and sustainable and “normal”  for everyone involved.

There’s also this idea that foster carers are “special people” with endless time and resources. I wish that were true, but really, we’re everyday families, often juggling very busy lives, doing our best, and living regionally adds another layer.

For regional carers accessing specialist or medical services often means travelling, sometimes hours away. Those trips disrupt routines at home and work and are often exhausting on both the kids and carers. Local support networks are few, and respite care options are limited, so finding a break is hard. 

These are just some the realities behind being a regional carer and they’re not always talked about. All carers but especially regionally based carers need flexibility, understanding and support and they need a focus away from “system and policy” to “people and partnership”.

 

Pictured:
Photo 1 – L-R Lauren Deer, Carer Council Project Lead; Lorraine Joy, Carer Council Chair; Nancy Penna, CF&KC-SA Board Chair
Photo 2 – L-R Lauren Deer, Carer Council Project Lead; Jacinta Morey, Reily Foundation and Direct Experience Group, The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP; Lorraine Joy, Carer Council Chair; Hayley Brown, Reily Foundation and Direct Experience Group