Cafs up for child protection awards

NATIONAL Child Protection Week runs until this Saturday, and one organisation supporting children and families has lots to celebrate.

Cafs staff and the programs they run are finalists in two categories of the 2022 Victorian Protecting Children Awards.

Their Keeping Families Together program, or Family Preservation Team, is up for the Robin Clark Making a Difference Award at this week’s online ceremony, and foster carer Helen Sutton is nominated for the top carers’ honour for her work with children and young people in the care system.

“A commitment to child safety is a foundational pillar of our organisation, and for our people to be recognised as part of these awards in National Child Protection Week is validation that Cafs’ significant and ongoing commitment has been recognised,” CEO Wendy Sturgess said.

Keeping Families Together is a State Family Preservation and Reunification Program, and Cafs has worked with the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative in its delivery, aiming to interrupt cycles of Indigenous families’ inter-generational trauma.

“The partnership with BADAC to deliver the Keeping Families Together program is one of which we are particularly proud,” Ms Sturgess said.

“Cafs’ KFT team has used this program as an opportunity to strive for excellence, grow deeper connections with our community, strengthen our partnership and relationship with BADAC, and our commitment to keeping Aboriginal children out of the care system.”

National Child Protection Week is an initiative of the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Protecting Children Awards are run by the State Government.