Centre Piece – September 2012

 Celebrating the past while moving forwards

September has been a particularly busy month at the Centre. Kevin Larkins – our interim CEO – was forced to settle into the role quickly, attending our Governance to Practice forum on his first official day.

The forum was a huge success, with a large group appreciating the insightful presentations delivered by some of the sectors foremost leaders and innovative thinkers – these speakers included Churchill Fellow Chris Hall, Secretary of DHS Gill Callister and more. Details of the day can be found here.

We are now building towards our Annual General Meeting, which promises to be a memorable celebration of the Centre’s 100th anniversary. If you would like to attend please contact the Centre immediately, as places are limited and filling fast.

The 2012 Annual Report is currently being finalised for release at the AGM, and will be available in both hard copy and electronically after October 15. The 100th Annual Report celebrates our history, and details many of the Centre’s major achievements over the past century.

Left – Centre fashions were a little different in 1920 – one of the many images uncovered during reasearch for the 100th anniversary

The Circle – report launch

In late October, the Centre will release the evaluation of The Circle program, detailing many proven benefits offered by this therapeutic approach to foster care.

The report presents enormously valuable data and makes recommendations for further improvements needed.

 RCLDS Census

In February, the Centre undertook a census of Victorian Residential Care workers, which has uncovered massively valuable information about the workforce.

Look out for the report, which will be released in the coming weeks.

Employment Opportunity

The Centre is currently looking to recruit a RCLDS Policy and Project Leader to support the ongoing development of a state wide residential care training strategy.

If you know any suitable applicants, or are interested in the position yourself, please follow this link to see a copy of the job advertisement.

National Foster and Kinship Care Conference

The Foster Care Association of Victoria and Australian Foster and Kinship Care Partnering are hosting a national conference in Melbourne on October 20 and 21.

Details are available here.

Impact of High Frequency Contact – Seminar

On Wednesday 24th October the Centre is hosting a seminar looking at the impact high levels of parental contact have on infants in care.

The seminar will be conducted by Jeanne Kaniuk, Head of Adoption and Permanent Families Service at the Coram Foundation in London. More →

Inaugural CPS address

On October 22nd the Children’s Protection Society is conducting its inaugural address.

Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford from the University of London will be presenting on the Long Term Impact of Home, Early Education and School on Achievement and Disadvantage. More →

Foster Care in Context report

Earlier this year the Centre released Foster Care in Context, which reported on the outcomes from the Foster Care Communications and Recruitment Strategy.

The report has been in high demand since, and is available here.

Media Updates

To ensure we are informed of the latest events impacting our sector, the Centre performs extensive media monitoring.

Any relevant coverage is published in a regular update, which is available here. Our latest media update is available here.

OzChild – This is What a Foster Parent Looks Like

OzChild have launched an innovative new foster care program, aiming to spread awareness of the diverse individuals within our community that make great foster parents.

To send a postcard to somebody you think has what it takes, go to their new website www.fosterparenting.org.au

Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission

The ACNC has released a pair of Youtube videos answering basic questions about their organisation and its role.

The first video addresses fundamentals about their role and organisational eligibility, while the second video responds to concerns raised during initial consultations.

 ASU Education Sessions – Understanding Equal Pay

The ASU is conducting training sessions to help workers understand the changes that will be coming into effect on December 1st.

If you would like to attend, a flyer with details is available here.

Australian Adoption Conference

The 10th Australian Adoption Conference is being held from October 20-22 in Melbourne.

This event takes place every four years and is hosted by alternating states, so don’t miss this opportunity to attend.

Details and a registration form are available here.