Victorian Protecting Children Awards

Winner: Sue Sealey, Anglicare Victoria

Sue has been an exceptional leader and social worker for 37 years, working tirelessly at Anglicare Victoria and in the broader sector.

Sue’s innovative leadership and emphasis on client empowerment have set an example for others to follow.

Sue’s work across the sector is pivotal, including as the Chair of Fostering Connections and supporting the Wungurilwil Gapgapduir Aboriginal Children and Families Agreement to reduce the number of Aboriginal children in care.

Sue is an active board member at the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare. Sue is also a member of the Residential Care Learning and Development Strategy Committee, working to support the learning and needs of residential care staff.

Under Sue’s leadership, Anglicare Victoria has successfully adapted international evidence-based models to drive better outcomes in crucial areas like family reunification, family violence and education.

Sue’s dedication has ensured improved outcomes for many thousands of children, young people and families.

Joint winner 1: Integrated Health Systems for Children in Out of Home Care Project, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Mildura Rural City Council, Mildura Base Public Hospital and Sunraysia Community Health Services

The Integrated Health Systems for Children in Out of Home Care Project worked collaboratively across the local out-of-home care service system in the Mildura local government area.

The aim was to ensure healthcare for children and young people in out-of-home care was equitable and efficient.

The project empowered carers to be involved in children’s healthcare journeys and supported children to have their own healthcare stories. The project supported 56 children aged 0-6 years and their siblings.

In many children’s lives, parents act as their health navigator, managing appointments, advocating for their health and holding records. This project strives to give carers the same opportunities to play a part in the children’s lives.

Through the project, health information was gathered for children and recorded on the CRIS system, to build a health profile for each child to ensure their journey was captured.

Joint winner 2: The Putting Families First team, OzChild, Youth Support + Advocacy Service, Australian African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity, Charis, and Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

Putting Families First (PFF) is a collaborative team that includes staff from OzChild, Youth Support + Advocacy Service, Australian African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity, Charis, and Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency.

PFF works alongside more than 20 community service providers to connect families to the right support, at the right time.

Services are tailored to the unique needs and cultural contexts of each family. At the time of nomination, PFF had supported 283 individuals across 58 families. Of these, 74% were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and 5% were First Nations families.

The team’s cross-functional approach brings together experts from various fields to provide holistic support. PFF works to address the immediate challenges faced by families to lay the groundwork for long-term stability and wellbeing.

Success stories range from children re-engaging with school, to families achieving stable housing and employment. The transformative impacts extend beyond individual families by fostering a stronger community.

Winner: Take Two South-Metro Leadership Group, Berry Street

The Berry Street Take Two South-Metro Leadership Team developed and delivered a targeted, therapeutic intervention program for babies, children and carers.

Collaborating with child protection from Bayside Peninsula and Southern Melbourne areas, the team addressed a recognised gap in services for vulnerable babies and children (0-5 years). 

Their therapeutic service uses evidence-informed approaches to address mental health impacts from trauma experienced through abuse, neglect, family violence or adverse experiences.

The team worked to provide a safe space where babies, children and carers felt comfortable engaging with new people. This tailored early intervention has resulted in many positive outcomes.

Babies and children have displayed more playfulness and joy in their relationships with carers. Similarly, carers have reported feeling more confident in their parenting abilities and are developing more connected and attuned relationships with their child.

The team engaged and empowered the carers, championed the voice of the child and promoted self-determination.

Winner: Meaghan Lewin, Upper Murray Family Care

Meaghan is a long-term foster carer for Upper Murray Family Care who is committed to providing the best possible care for vulnerable children.

One of the young children who Meaghan cares for was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Meaghan put everything else on hold for 10 months to be by the side of the child.

Initially when the child was unwell, Meaghan took them to several medical appointments, only to continually be told not to worry and be given misdiagnoses.

The child was not able to articulate how they felt but after Meaghan’s constant advocacy and insistence, the child was finally correctly diagnosed, flown to a hospital and a tumour was discovered.

Meaghan stayed by the child’s side through numerous chemotherapy sessions which required hours of driving and waiting. Following surgery and remission, the child is now back at school and able to enjoy being with their friends.

Winner: Edward and Te Tapu Tapara, Anglicare Victoria

Te Tapu and Edward exemplify unwavering commitment, compassion and excellence in care.

The pair have 6 biological children and despite the demands of raising a large family, they provide full time kinship care to 4 more children, and respite care to an additional 4 children from their family.

Navigating challenges such as complex family dynamics and behavioural issues, and the logistics of caring for a large group under one roof, the pair remain steadfast in providing a stable, safe and consistent environment.

Their dedication extends beyond health checks and physical care to supporting each individual child’s emotional healing journey and needs.

Te Tapu and Edward have consistently demonstrated a willingness to provide kinship care without hesitation. In the past, they also cared for 3 other children who were reunified with their parents.

Te Tapu and Edward empower all the children in their care, providing a safe, loving and stable environment where the children can thrive.

Joint winner 1: Kyra Dawson, Berwick Secondary College

Kyra has been a wellbeing team member at Berwick College for 7 years and has led the team for 4 years. Kyra is part of the Koorie Education Team and leads Respectful Relationships in the school.

As a social worker and through unwavering dedication, Kyra has supported hundreds of students, including young people in out-of-home care, to stay engaged with education despite many barriers.

Kyra works diligently to build the capacity of over 120 staff at Berwick College to understand the impact of trauma informed approaches.

Kyra has implemented several programs to support positive outcomes for young people and their families and carers. This includes student coffee cart programs with certified barista training, parent forums, facilitating psychologists and organising events for students.

Families and young people remain in contact with Kyra years after they have left school to share their thanks for the support they received from Krya.

Joint winner 2: It Takes a Village to Educate Our Kids, Wimmera South-West, Department of Education

In 2024, the South-West achieved the milestone of all young people across residential care services in being engaged in education or employment pathways.

This was achieved through a partnership approach between Mackillop, Mpower and Brophy, Mackillop Education, LOOKOUT, the Health and Education Coordinator, Placement Coordination Unit, and child protection.

It took passion, a focus on solutions and out of the box thinking to engage young people in education and challenge the barriers – all while listening to the voices of the young people.

An example of a great outcome was achieved for a young person who had been excluded from 2 schools due to bail conditions and has now re-engaged with their learning.

The team took a tailored approach to implement education into the young person’s home, leading to a seamless transition into virtual learning. The young person also started their own small business and is expected to return to school in the near future.

Winner: Emma Fordham, Victoria Police

Senior Constable Emma Fordham is exceptional at positively engaging with young people with complex child protection involvement and extensive trauma histories.

Emma supports young people in the Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia areas, building rapport, developing trust and helping young people understand their self-worth.

Emma goes above and beyond to extend understanding and learn how to best support at risk young people to flourish in challenging and dynamic situations.

An example of a positive outcome was when Emma engaged with a child who was subject to extreme exploitation risk. Emma earned the child’s trust and empowered them to move away from high-risk behaviours. The young person has re-engaged with school activities, welfare referrals and support programs.

Educating others on how to effectively engage with at risk young people to ensure better outcomes is part of Emma’s legacy within Victoria Police.

Winner: Sophie Doyle, MacKillop Family Services

Sophie has shown unwavering support and care as an advocate, a support person for families, and a listening ear and shoulder to cry on.

Sophie has been described by a young person as taking all that cloudy darkness above their heads and using its rain to water them to help them grow.

The young person recounted how even when they felt like they had no hope, Sophie continued to advocate for them until they were found a loving home and carer.

From regularly visiting the child at respite placement when their carer was hospitalised, to taking the child for a much-needed break, Sophie’s care and support was unwavering.

Sophie has helped the child gain their self-confidence back, and the child now hopes to be just like Sophie in the future.

Winner: Brave Foundation

Founded, designed and led by people with lived experience of young parenthood, Brave Foundation (Brave) supports young parents and parents to be, to create happy, healthy and connected families.

Brave’s flagship program, Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens (SEPT) is an evidence-based mentor service co-designed with young parents. SEPT provides mentoring and support services to parents aged 25 and under who had their first child in their teenage years.

Emphasising youth empowerment, Brave engages young parents in decision making through its Model for Participation. This process ensures the direct and ethical involvement of young parent participants in organisational decision-making.

The Empowering the Voices of Young Parents Advisory Group also exemplifies this commitment, engaging past participants in activities, ranging from consultation to strategic project planning and media engagement.

Brave also amplifies young voices on local, state and federal stages for advocacy, consultation and experience sharing.

Winner: Dr Joe Tucci

Dr Joe Tucci was a deeply passionate, tireless and fearless advocate for children’s rights and needs. Dr Tucci passed away in March 2024 following a short illness.

As a registered psychologist and social worker, Dr Tucci had over 30 years of experience in child protection, working therapeutically with children, leading research into child abuse and consulting across governments.

Dr Tucci was a driving force behind the establishment of the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse. Dr Tucci served as the inaugural chairperson and developed a clear vision and national commitment to end child abuse and improve the lives of children, young people and families.

Dr Tucci’s leadership and direct contribution to a range of areas, including disclosures of child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviours research, form a critical foundation for achieving this vision.

As CEO of the Australian Childhood Foundation, Dr Tucci was an international leader in models of prevention and repair of childhood trauma.

Winner: Garinga Bupup, Early Intervention Program, Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative

The Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC) Garinga Bupup team has shown exceptional effort and excellence in practice by implementing a wraparound, culturally driven approach to early intervention support.

The Garinga Bupup program stands out for its approach to forging familial relationships with expectant mothers, and creating a sense of community, trust and comfort in the mothers they work with.

Their holistic approach enhances family outcomes, allowing mothers to make informed choices that improve child wellbeing and safety outcomes, and keep families together.

The strong community presence of the team has fostered an environment where expectant mothers are comfortable enough to self-refer to the program.

This shows the team’s commitment to creating a supportive environment where women feel empowered to seek help and make decisions about their wellbeing and that of their children.

The team’s efforts achieved a 63% diversion rate, empowered mothers and built trusted connections with the community.

Winner: Fiona Poon, East Division, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Fiona is a remarkable leader, whose responsiveness, authenticity and care is known across the Outer East and wider child protection and care services.

Seen as a calm in the storm, Fiona gives everyone equal time and is always patient despite changing circumstances.

A committed advocate for the voice of the child, Fiona attends the homes of young people to actively hear their views and to plan in support of their wishes.

Focussed on improving outcomes and empowering cultural safety, Fiona was working with 2 young people who had been subject to long term orders. Fiona explored their reunification back to country and community.

Fiona navigated barriers and logistics with integrity and passion. Fiona worked with stakeholders with clarity of planning, mobilisation of resources and transparent communication.

Both young people are now living with family and the support has been transferred to agencies within the community who have wrapped around them and their families.

The winner of this pre-eminent award epitomises Robin Clark and her legacy of inspiring leadership and influential stewardship of child and family policy and practice in Victoria.

This award recognises an individual whose leadership inspires others to act wisely and care deeply about achieving the best outcomes for children, young people and their families or carers.

Nominees in this category have a distinguished track record as visionary and transformative leaders in practice, policy, research or education.

Examples of work may include:

• a champion of system-wide reform leading to sustained improvement in the lives of children, young people and their families or carers
• influencing the practice of others, through leadership, advocacy and mentoring
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

Nominees for the Robin Clark Leadership Award are highly respected individuals from government, the community or the children and families services sector.

The team or group winners of this award embody Robin Clark’s vision and legacy of a well-connected community and service system contributing to better outcomes for children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises the exceptional contribution of a team or group of people who have worked to directly improve the lives of children, young people and their families or carers in Victoria. This can be in partnership or collaboration with government and non-government agencies.

The winners of this award strive to achieve excellence and their work shows insight, practicality and respect for the needs of children, young people and their families or carers, including supporting Aboriginal self-determination to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

Nominees will demonstrate outstanding creativity, courage and collaboration.

Examples of work may include:

• providing expert, strategic advice to improve support and decision making for children and young people in care
• championing the rights of carers, children and young people through the development and delivery of training, financial support, or new innovative models of care.

Note: nominees for the Robin Clark Making a Difference Award are teams and groups from government, the community or the children and families services sector.

This award recognises an individual, team or group that have advanced their approach or intervention to achieve the best possible outcomes for children, young people and their families or carers.

These advances can be demonstrated across the child, youth and family services sector through case management, education, prevention and early intervention, or the provision of care to children and young people in care services (including secure welfare services).

Examples of work may include:

• developing new programs, or strengthening existing programs to improve outcomes for at risk children and young people
• working in different ways to achieve outcomes for high-risk youth
• embedding sustainable change within organisational practices to create more opportunities for at risk children and young people
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises assessed and approved foster carers, both past and present, who have made a significant contribution to the lives of children and young people in care.

Examples of work may include:

• providing exceptional care, support and stability to a child or young person
• overcoming challenges to advocate for children and young people’s needs and creating a positive effect on young lives
• demonstrating an understanding of the importance of connection to culture and kin for children and young people in care, and working with agencies and child protection to prioritise this connection
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises assessed and approved kinship carers, both past and present, who have made a significant contribution to the lives of children and young people in care.

Examples of work may include:

• providing exceptional care, support and stability to a child or young person
• overcoming challenges to advocate for children and young people’s needs and creating a positive effect on young lives
• demonstrating an understanding of the importance of connection to culture and kin for children and young people in care, and working with agencies and child protection to prioritise this connection
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises education is fundamental to the development of individuals and families and helps build a strong community.

The winner of this award is an individual, team or group who have supported children and young people in their schooling journey or introduced young children to early years and pre-school programs.

Nominees are committed to the very best outcomes for children and young people and demonstrate their ability to work with the education and child protection systems.

Examples of work may include:

• mentoring or supporting children in care to engage with schooling
• developing creative approaches to bringing the education and child protection systems together
• encouraging participation in early years and pre-school activities
• encouraging access to mainstream education, vocational education (VET), job training or skill building programs
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises an individual, team or group that goes above and beyond to support at risk youth. 

The winner of this award prioritises empowering young people in the decision-making process and assists them to achieve their goals.

Examples of work may include:

• assisting at risk young people with gaining access to the support they need. This may be for important life skills, independent living, employment pathways, education-based support, culturally appropriate care, mental health and substance abuse
• implementation of programs that improve outcomes for at risk young people
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award gives Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children and young people aged 8 - 25 years the opportunity to nominate someone such as a carer, support worker or agency who has made a positive difference to their lives, particularly through assisting them to have a voice within the out-of-home care system.

Note: this award is managed by the CREATE Foundation and will be judged by a committee of children and young people.

For more information, visit the CREATE Positive Impacts Award page on the CREATE website.

To nominate for the CREATE Positive Impacts Award, use the online nomination form.

This award was established by the Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People and recognises an individual, team or organisation who has achieved excellence in realising children’s and young people’s right to meaningfully participate in matters affecting them.

Note: this award is managed by the Commission for Children and Young People.

This award recognises the people who have made a significant contribution to the child, youth, and family services sector throughout their career as well as making an impact on their local community.

‘Leaving a Legacy’ acknowledges those who have positively contributed to the sector and whose remarkable achievements should be highlighted.

Note: this award is managed by The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

Nominations are not open for this award. The winner is determined by the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

This award recognises contributions of an Aboriginal person, persons or organisations in Victoria to the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people.

Note: this award is managed by the Commission for Children and Young People.

The Chief Practitioner’s Award recognises an individual working in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing child protection program who embodies best practice, commitment and leadership.