Acknowledgement of Country

We respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, in particular the Kaurna and Whadjuk Noongar Peoples on whose lands the ACCP Adelaide and Perth offices are based. We recognise the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the lands, seas, waterways and skies pay respects to the Elders past and present. We strive to ensure that we operate in a manner which respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing and their rights to self-determination.

An incredible amount has happened in the past three months. Firstly, we are honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, as the Centre’s new Patron - you can read more about this significant appointment below.
The ACCP have been appointed to develop mandatory National Child Safety Training for staff working or volunteering in early childhood education and care, including management. The announcement that child safety training would be mandatory in the early childhood sector came after the tragic revelations of abuse in childcare centres.
The ACCP were already undertaking a project for the Queensland Government scoping how child safety training could be delivered and what it needed to comprise for the early childhood education and care sector.
The work we had commenced was able to be fast-tracked and scaled up nationally. The first training modules are planned to be ready in early 2026.
We welcome the decision to make child safety training mandatory in the early education and care sector. We have also advocated for the regulation of the implementation of child safe principles across all sectors in all states, and the urgent need for greater attention to the healing and recovery needs of children affected by child sexual abuse.
During National Child Protection Week (September 7-13) we presented the symposium Protecting Children: The Need for Change, along with NAPCAN and the Australia Day Council of South Australia.
I shared the stage with SA Senior Australian of the Year 2025 Charlie Jackson OAM, an Adnyamathanha man from the Flinders Ranges, and SA Young Australian of the Year 2025 Amber Brock-Fabel and members of the SA Youth Forum. It was an extraordinary honour for the SA Australians of the Year to come together to elevate the needs of children affected by violence, abuse and neglect.
I spoke about the pressing need for change in protecting our nation’s children – more than half of SA families referred to the Child and Family Support System are not assisted, because there are simply not enough services. However, new data from the Department of Human Services shows that current investment is preventing around 100 children from entering care every year. And if that’s not enough, for every $1 spent on family support, the state achieves a $1.90 return on investment – highlighting that effective support for families pays for itself.
I also shared the ACCP’s call for SA election commitments, which I encourage you to read and share with your local MPs.
ACCP Patron: Governor-General

The ACCP is deeply honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, as our new Patron.
ACCP Director Professor Leah Bromfield met the Governor-General when visiting Canberra for the Australian of the Year Awards in January. “Speaking with the Governor-General it was evident she was passionate about the safety and wellbeing of children and supporting families, as was His Excellency Mr Simeon Beckett SC,” she said.

“We have since discussed the epidemic of child abuse and neglect in Australia, and the importance of a transformative approach that prioritises help and care, particularly in the context of our most vulnerable children and families.”
The Governor-General said she was delighted to accept the ACCP’s invitation to serve as Patron. “Child abuse and neglect is one of the most confronting issues in our society, which is why the work of the Australian Centre for Child Protection is so important.
“Across my career, I have seen how care can be an uplifting force, and I am proud to be Patron of an organisation dedicated to the best possible care of our nation’s children,” the Governor-General said.
Shifting conversations to action

The ACCP and UniSA helped spread the word about National Child Protection Week 2025 (September 7-13) by lighting up a building on one of Adelaide’s busiest city streets – the Bradley Building on North Terrace. The display brodcast the message being highlighted by NAPCAN this year. 

Everyone in the community can play a part in preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect. Every conversation matters: whether you’re a parent, a grandparent, you're working with children or advocating for change in your sphere of influence. You can access NAPCAN resources here.
Home Stretch leadership

Professor Melissa O’Donnell has been invited to The Home Stretch SA advisory group which is being developed through Child and Family Sector SA.

Home Stretch seeks to continue support for young people in the Out-of-Home care until the age of 21.
Police recognition

ACCP was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Western Australian Police Force in recognition of  their “outstanding contribution” in developing Child Abuse Trauma-Informed Response Training.
Deputy Director, Practice Amanda Paton, along with Jacqueline Le Mesurier and Holly Pearce, worked with members from State Crime and Police Training Practices Division over 18 months to develop and implement bespoke training on child abuse, child safe principles, mandatory reporting, and reportable conduct.
Civic Reception

Professor Leah Bromfield was honoured at a Civic Event hosted by Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith celebrating the 2025 Australians of the Year for South Australia.

Australia Day Council CEO Jan Chorley acknowledged the work of Prof Bromfield as well as Charles Jackson OAM (SA Senior Australian of the Year), Amber Brock-Fabel (SA Young Australian of the Year) and Sobia and Irfan Hashmi (SA Local Heros).
Symposium success - 'Protecting Children: The Need for Change'

The Symposium featured SA Australian of the Year 2025 Prof Leah Bromfield, SA Senior Australian of the Year 2025 Charlie Jackson OAM, SA Young Australian of the Year 2025 Amber Brock-Fabel plus SA Youth Forum members Raghu Vjayan, Sienna Sedgmen, Lachlan Duggan, Holly Wetherell and Abinav Murugappa.
Presented by the ACCP with NAPCAN and the Australia Day Council of South Australia, it was facilitated by NAPCAN Board President Lesley Taylor. An event video will soon be sent to attendees, and shared on our website/LinkedIn.
Symposium Overview
Out-Of-Home Care Webinar available online

You can view a recording of our Empowering Young People's Lives Beyond Out-Of-Home Care Webinar, featuring Prof Melissa O’Donnell, Dr Miriam Maclean, Dr Fadzai Chikwava and Renée Usher.
It includes data analysis and findings, bringing together better outcomes and policy and practice recommendations. It also incorporates a written reflection on Home Stretch from a lived experience perspective.
Watch the Webinar
Staffing update

Welcome new ACCP staff – Tricia Ryan (Acting Centre Manager), Renna Gayde (Research Assistant), Hannah Belton (Research Assistant), Kelly Ryan (Research Assistant), Dr Rachael Tindal (Research Assistant), Claire Murray (Research Associate) Helen Allport (Research Assistant), Dr Amy Bromley (Research Assistant), Alrike Claasson (Research Associate), Amanda Morgan (Research Assistant), Emma Cole-Henley (Sessional Teaching Academic), and Kate Minosora (Sessional Teaching Academic).
Have we got it wrong?

On Thursday, October 16, Professor Leah Bromfield will present the 21st annual Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA) Oration, speaking on Have we got it wrong? The public health approach and child protection.
Since the early 2000s, the public health approach has been heralded as the key framework to inform systemic responses to abuse and neglect and address demand pressures on child protection – but have we got this right? Prof Bromfield will discuss the application – and misapplication – of the public health approach, and practical ways forward to realise the intent of a transformed approach to child protection.
Register now to secure your place.
REGISTER FOR ORATION
Childhood trauma conference

ACCP Deputy Director, Practice Amanda Paton has been to all but one of the Australian Childhood Foundation International Childhood Trauma Conferences since they began in 2014, presenting on topics from child advocacy methodology to therapeutic residential care. Joining her to share the work of the ACCP were Dr Jacynta Krakouer, Emily Russell, Amanda Morgan, Dr Victoria Parsons and Sian Burgess.
Dr Krakouer had a keynote talk on Co-designing a Wise Counsel model of care to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to stay together from the start: A focus on infant removals by child protection. Ms Morgan presented early findings from her Churchill Fellowship exploring victim-focused courts and law reform, and Ms Paton held a seminar presentation Developing the Layered Continuum: A contemporary framework for understanding sexual behaviours displayed by children and young people.
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Tricia Ryan

I joined ACCP in July for a six-month role as the Centre Manager, with Lisa McDonald supporting Prof Leah Bromfield and the Child Protection Transformation Agenda over this period.
I am an industry practitioner and senior leader from the youth arts and education sector. I have long been a champion for the value and beauty of creative experiences for children and young people; using art as a tool for personal growth but also as a way to find and articulate a cultural voice unique to the experiences and challenges children and young people face. I have worked as a performing artist, a facilitator developing creative works with and about children and young people, an educator teaching performance practice, co-designing and producing children’s festival events and

most recently as the Director of Public Programs at NIDA, a national performing arts education program that included face-to-face and online training for children, young people and in-service educators here in Australia and overseas.
In all these roles, the physical and cultural safety of children and young people has been central to my work and I was proud to lead the development and implementation of NIDA’s inaugural Child Safe Policy. I am so excited to join ACCP in this time of significant growth and impact. The focus, commitment and unparalleled expertise of the research and practice staff at ACCP is inspiring and deeply reassuring – both as a parent of two small children and as a professional looking to drive excellence in policy and practice. I am humbled to be a part of this team (who are not only exceptional professionals but a fabulous group of people to spend your working day with), seeing firsthand what best practice can and should look like, and I look forward to supporting the team through the remainder of 2025.
Upskill Your Childhood Trauma Knowledge

Enrolments are closing soon for the final intake of our Professional Certificate in Understanding Childhood Trauma for 2025. This self-paced, six-week online course is suited to professionals currently working with children and young people impacted by child abuse and neglect. Led by the ACCP’s world-renowned child protection experts, it is a great way to upskill and build knowledge in theory and evidence-based practice in responding to childhood trauma.
Enrolments close Friday, October 3, for the intake on Monday, October 20. Volume discounts may apply.
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SA Weekend liftout feature

20 June: 2025 SA Australian of the Year Leah Bromfield shares how to talk to children about keeping safe featuring Prof Leah Bromfield. The Advertiser and lift out in SA Weekend
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