Staff from KARI’s Cultural Unit and Community Programs team along with others recently attend the SNAICC National Conference in Canberra.
The conference is hosted by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children. SNAICC is the national non-government peak body in Australia representing the interest of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The SNAICC Conference is the largest conference of its type in the southern hemisphere. The Conference provides the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, policy makers, researchers, government representatives, other non-government organisations and industry representatives to gather and make renewed commitments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
SNAICC has a clear vision: An Australian society in which our communities are empowered to determine their own future; where the rights of our children, young people and families are protected; where our cultural identity and achievements are valued; and our children and families have access to culturally appropriate services.
Four staff from KARI presented at the conference on two topics.
Casey Ralph, CEO, and Stephanie Ruston, Speech Pathologist, presented a paper Developmental health and wellbeing of urban Aboriginal children in out of home care: KARI’s Clinic.
Nicole Alexander, Manager Support Programs, and Donna Anderson, Aboriginal Family Research Officer, presented a paper on Reconnecting Aboriginal Children in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) to Family, Kin, Country and Culture
“The highlight of the conference was having the ability to network with other Aboriginal service providers and find out what is happening nationally,” said Casey Ralph, CEO, KARI.
The 2017 conference attracted a diverse audience of over 1000 participants from all over the country. This provided a dynamic networking and learning opportunity for attendees.