MEDIA RELEASE: New peak for Tasmanian children and families welcomed by child and family services sector

The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare Tas Vic (The Centre) was launched as the peak body for child and family services in Tasmania today by the Hon. Roger Jaensch Minister for Children and Youth and Prof. Leah Bromfield, Director and Chair of Child Protection at the Australian Centre for Child Protection.

For over 100 years, the Centre has advocated for the rights and well-being of children, young people, and families, ensuring their right to be heard, to be safe, to access education, and to remain connected to family, community, and culture. It proudly represents over 180 community service organisations, ranging from prevention and early intervention to the critical provision of out-of-home care.

CEO Deb Tsorbaris said the Centre has been warmly welcomed by members, Government and the wider sector following its merger with Families and Children Tasmania (FACT) earlier this year.

“We look forward to working closely with our members and the government to support children, young people, and their families across the state,” she said.

“As a peak, we foster connections and support networks within the communities and government, as well as giving members a strong collective voice at state and national levels.”

Minister Jaensch said: “The Centre for Excellence has an ambitious strategic plan for 2024–2026. Its priorities are clear: empowering children and families, fostering cross-sector collaboration, embedding lived experience into policy and practice, and ensuring that its work remains at the forefront of innovation in child and family services. I look forward to the Centre’s contribution as we embark on an unprecedented period of reform and innovation in these services in Tasmania.”

Prof. Bromfield said: “An effective Peak Body can play a central role in highlighting systemic issues and working collaboratively to achieve practice improvement to ensure Tasmanian children and their families receive the services they need to be safe and thrive”

“The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare has been a strong independent peak body highlighting the rights and needs of children, providing strategic leadership and critical analysis in Victoria for generations. I look forward to seeing the impacts the Centre will achieve in Tasmania,” said Prof. Bromfield.

The Centre has been meeting with community service organisations and community representatives through its inaugural Connecting Tasmanian Communities Tour. This series of events began in July, with roundtables in Burnie, Devonport, Launceston, Queenstown, and Zeehan, ending with a packed room in Hobart yesterday.

“We have been overwhelmed with the warm welcome for our team and the generosity and enthusiasm of the people and organisations we have met with to collaborate with and support the Centre,” said Ms Tsorbaris.

The Connecting Communities Tour provided an opportunity to meet with members and people who work with children, young people, and families across the state and to explore the unique opportunities and challenges in Tasmanian regions.

“The relationships and connections we’ve built on these tours will help us to collaboratively set an agenda for our work and identify and prioritise the needs of member organisations.”

“We’re particularly excited about the opportunities a cross-jurisdictional peak body will create for both Tasmania and Victoria. During our tour, we learned about remarkable programs and practice in Tasmania that we want to elevate and showcase nationally. We also see significant potential for collaboration between the two states to address challenges for children, families, and carers that transcend state lines.”

As a peak body, the Centre brings expertise in:

• Children’s Rights: Promoting the rights of children and young people to be heard, to stay safe, to access education, and to maintain connections with their families, communities, and cultures.
• Sector Representation: A strong voice at State and National levels for organisations working in child and family services, from early intervention and prevention to out-of-home care.
• Training and Research: Providing sector-specific training, facilitating research, and disseminating findings to improve practices and outcomes.

Ends.

For more information or to contact a Centre spokesperson for child and family services in Tasmania or Victoria, please contact us.