National Federation of Parents, Families and Carers

Australia's first national voice for parents, families and carers was formed on Wednesday 8th August 2007.

Membership is free and is open to individual parents, families and carers and their support, advocacy and self-help groups.                                     

CLICK HERE to join up. Members are entitled to access the members section of our website which contains resources, campaign information and a discussion forum.

CLICK HERE to read our foundational principles.

CLICK HERE for details of Transforming our Schools, our campaign for a Real Education Revolution, which followed our forums on Monday 17 August in Sydney, and Tuesday 18th August in Melbourne 2009.

CLICK HERE for details of our Parents, Families and Carers National Summit in Melbourne on 24/25 May 2010.

CLICK HERE for details of our first national conference Parents, Families and Carers: Our Place in the Human Services, Our Agenda for Change. Sydney, 17-18 March 2008.


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NATIONAL COUNCIL

The members of the inaugural National Council are:

President:  Jenny Shale, Head of Department of Social Justice, Loganlea State High School, QLD Interests: Schools, youth support, disability, integrated service design	Jenny Shale
Vice Presidents: Aileen Ryan, Consultant, Hands Can Talk, NSW Interests: Education, disability, parent advocacy

Peter Murphy, Communications, Adult Learning Australia, ACT
Interests: Fatherhood, single parents, adult learning, youth, social capital

Secretary:

Vern Hughes, Director, Centre for Civil Society, VIC
Interests: Person and family-centred supports, heath care, social capital

Councillors:

Mary Beijerinck-Gooley, Convenor, Babybumps Support Group, NSW
Interests: Early intervention, child care, schools, support groups

Grace Bond, Murri Sisters Inc, QLD
Interests: Indigenous children women and families, child abuse, family violence

Arthur Chapman, Manager, Retirement by Design, NSW
Interests: Aged care, supports for independent living in senior years

Sandra Chilcott, Secretary, Foster Care Association, NSW
Interests: Early intervention, child care, disability, single parents

Margaret Cook, Convenor, Comic WA, Mental Health Consumer Consultant, WA
Interests: Mental health, children of parents with mental illness and disabilities

Nickie Flambouras, Advocacy Manager, Parent Council for Deaf Education, NSW
Interests: Disability, education, youth, creative advocacy

Suzette Gallagher AM, disability innovator, VIC
Interests: Disability, community inclusion, individualised funding

June Hintz, Founder, Make a Difference, QLD
Interests: Mental health, aged care, youth support, health care

Catherine Hogan, Director, Family Advocacy, NSW
Interests: individualised funding, innovative service models, community inclusion

Kelly Knick-Parish, Service Manager, ARAFMI Illawarra, NSW
Interests: Mental health, schools, service redesign

Sharon Lane, Co-ordinator, South West Respite Network, VIC
Interests: Parenting, respite, disability, regional and rural families

Jenni Mazlin-Law, Consumer Consultant, NSW Mental Health, NSW
Interests: Mental health, children of parents with a mental illness, health care

Sue Miers AM, Spokesperson National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, SA
Interests: Health care, disability, addictions, behavioural issues

Jane Pertile, Special education teacher, Vision Australia, VIC
Interests: Education, youth, single parents

Wendy Revell, Community Educator, Relationships Australia, QLD
Interests: Youth, addictions, gambling

Jessica Revill, Psychologist, St George Division of General Practice, NSW
Interests: Adolescents, disability, mental health, relationships

Jennifer Ribarovksi, Manager Childrens Services, City of Hurstville, NSW
Interests: Early intervention, child care, education, resourcing families

Jayne Rosevear, Real estate agent, VIC
Interests: Disability, housing, supported accommodation options

Aileen Solowiej, Communications Co-ordinator, Australian Catholic Women’s League, ACT
Interests: Child care, single parents, blended families

Melissa Stagg, Department of Communities, WA
Interests: Early intervention, child care, disability, family roles

Pat Sutton, Carer Consultant, Central North Adelaide Health Service, SA
Interests: Disability, mental health, schools, carers, support groups

Bronwyn Thoroughgood, Program Leader, Strengthening Families for Stronger Kids, NSW
Interests: Parenting, early intervention, disability

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FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

Name

National Federation of Parents, Families and Carers

Mission

To be a national voice for parents, families and carers in Australian public life.

Functions

1. To represent and advocate for the interests of parents, families and cares as interests which are distinct from those of governments, service providers and charities;

2. To influence the development of public policy which enhances the rights, capacities, choices, and dignity of parents, families and carers;

3. To develop and promote innovative support and service delivery which empowers parents, families and carers, and builds our capacities and resources;

4. To aggregate the leverage and purchasing power of parents, families and carers in bargaining with suppliers of information, goods and services.

Scope

We will bring together parents, families and carers from many different sector areas which are usually treated as segmented fields. The following areas are our key ones because relational and familial issues are critically important to well-being in these areas, yet the voices of parents, families and carers in these fields are usually muted:

·         Early intervention and early years development;

·         Child care;

·         Education and schools;

·         Disability;

·         Mental illness;

·         Learning difficulties;

·         Behavioural issues;

·         Youth support;

·         Alcohol and drug issues;

·         Indigenous communities

·         Sole and separated parents;

·         Blended and step families;

·         Chronic and acute illness; and

·         Senior years

Public Policy Principles

 1. Person-centred and family-centred arrangements should become the norm in all forms of social support, service delivery and social investment – systems and institutions should be tailored to meet the personalised needs of individuals and their families. The ‘one size fits all’ model should be thrown in the dustbin of history in practice as well as in rhetoric.

2.. Integrated whole-of-life arrangements should encompass all forms of social support and service delivery – individualised consolidations of funding from different programs, funding streams and jurisdictions should be introduced to enable these arrangements.

3. Empowerment of parents, families and carers to exercise enhanced choice and self-determination should be established as a guiding ethic in public policy.

Independence from Government

We wish to avoid the compromised position that many funded advocacy organisations find themselves in, where fear of losing government funding affects their willingness to act independently of government policy.

We will not accept government funding for the core functions of this national voice.

Participation

We want to develop innovative forms of participation by parents, families and carers in making our voice heard and exercising the maximum influence possible over our own lives. Streamlined structures, consolidated support resources, good use of online technology, and clarity of purpose are needed to make participation effective.

Structure  

We will gather parents, families and carers by organising by federal electorate. In each of the 150 federal electorates around Australia, we will appoint a convenor and conduct local events and campaigns, and lobby local MPs.

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Vern Hughes
Secretary
federation@civilsociety.org.au
PO Box 159 Yarraville Vic 3013
Tel: 03 9824 4713
M: 0425 722 890

CLICK HERE to join up.