CAFFSA Committees, Networks and Working groups

CAFFSA offers a range of meetings, forums and working groups for members to participate in.

For more information or to nominate email admin@childandfamily-sa.org.au

Committees
Networks
Working Groups

Committees

CAFFSA Policy and Advocacy Committee

The Policy and Advocacy Committee is currently chaired by Simone Mather from Life Without Barriers. Member agency representatives contribute to sector wide policy development and advocacy efforts that direct, influence and inform changes in government policy, practice and legislation and assist CAFFSA to further the organisation’s advocacy role as the state’s peak body for non-government child protection and family support services.

Terms of Reference

Broadly, the Policy and Advocacy Committee provides input, feedback and advice on whole-of-sector policy issues and policy problems and assists in the development of advocacy strategies and proposed policy outcomes. It assists in shaping whole of sector policy advice to government in the domains of child protection, child development, family support, prevention and early intervention and ensures policy positions are aligned to best practice and are evidence based.

CAFFSA Policy and Advocacy Committe ToR Updated Feb 2022

Summary of recent meetings

CAFFSA Policy and Advocacy Committee Summary of Recent Meetings October 2022

CAFFSA Co-convened Meetings

CAFFSA co-convenes and co-chair a range of forums with the Department for Child Protection.

CAFFSA is committed to working in partnership with government stakeholders and ensuring that collaboration and problem-solving feature strongly in all of our discussions with our colleagues within DCP.

CAFFSA / DCP Executive Meeting

The DCP – CAFFSA Executive Forum was first convened in order to bridge discussions between the Department for Child Protection (DCP) and the non-government sector which is funded to deliver residential and out-of-home care services for children and young people in care. The DCP – CAFFSA Executive Forum comprised of the DCP Executive Team and the CAFFSA Board, CEO and Deputy CEO.
The forum’s Terms of Reference provide for robust discussion around issues and challenges facing the entire sector, government and non-government alike. It allows CAFFSA an opportunity to engage in solutions-focussed negotiation with our DCP colleagues, and also provides an opportunity to identify issues of joint strategic importance and areas for further collaboration, cooperation and partnership.

Residential Care Taskforce 

The DCP and CAFFSA co-conviened Residential Care Taskforce is focused on developing a sector wide approach to building capacity to deliver safe quality residential and supported independent living services to meet demand and individual needs of young people.

The Taskforce has a key role in building sector capacity for specific cohorts of young people, including Aboriginal young people and young people with disabilities, and developing pathways into family based care and independent living. Partnership and collaboration between DCP and non-government partners is crucial to ensuring that the needs of young people who need specialised responses are met.

For more information or to nominate for this meeting email melissa@childandfamily-sa.org.au

Disability Working Group 

To be co-convened in 2023 with a focus on strategies such as:

  • improving the capacity to respond to demand, including the needs of different cohorts e.g. Aboriginal young people and young people from a CALD background
  • ensuring safe and high quality services
  • improved capacity to work within NDIS
  • sharing best practice, learnings and resources

For more information or to nominate for this meeting email melissa@childandfamily-sa.org.au 

CAFFSA Supported  Meetings

Australian Children’s Safety Alliance (ACSA)

Child and Family Focus SA is the auspicing body of the Australian Children’s Safety Alliance (ACSA).

ACSA is comprised of representatives of CAFFSA member organisations in order to facilitate a collaborative partnership to advance, promote and implement domestic violence informed approaches to addressing the safety of women, protection of children and interventions with perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.

The aims of the Australian Children’s Safety Alliance are to:

  • Provide leadership in policy and practice development for agencies, practitioners and child protections systems;
  • Act as a public voice for the safety of all women and children experiencing domestic violence and abuse;
  • Make visible and accountable the behaviour of perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse;
  • Identify opportunities to measure and evaluate the impact of the ‘Safe and Together’ Model and other domestic violence informed approaches in South Australia;
  • Proactively identify and champion models of practice that are culturally responsive, culturally valid and endorsed by Aboriginal members, stakeholders and advisory groups such as the Family Matters Working Group in South Australia.

ACSA is currently chaired by Michael Hawke, Anglicare SA.

To find out more about ACSA go to the ACSA page

Child and Family Welfare
Association of Australia Inc (CAFWAA)

Currently chaired by Dr. Robert Martin, CAFFSA CEO, CAFWAA is the national peak body for child, adolescent and family welfare in Australia.
CAFWAA’s aim is to promote the welfare of children and young people in out-of-home care and those at risk of placement, together with their families.

CAFWAA has membership from peak child and family welfare bodies at state and territory level as well as relevent national organisations:

CAFWAA is also affiliated with Families Australia.