Webinar: Family Matters – What is Working to Keep Our Children Safe, Supported and Strong

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children is hosting a Family Matters Webinar, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders will discuss insights from the Family Matters Report 2025, reflect on ten years of evidence and accountability, and platform what is working to keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people safe, strong and connected to family, community, culture and Country.

• Date: Friday, 27 February 2026
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (AEDT)
• Format: Live online webinar via Microsoft Teams
• Register: Webinar Registration Link | [External Link]

For more than a decade, Family Matters has told the truth about the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families in child protection systems; amplifying community voices and elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions that strengthen families and support children to be raised in family, community, Country and culture. 

Family Matters is Australia’s only annual report led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that monitors government action to address the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection systems and tracks progress toward Target 12 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

The tenth edition delivers a clear message: governments must invest in families, not crisis. Despite longstanding commitments to reduce over-representation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children remain disproportionately represented at every stage of the child protection system. At the same time, evidence consistently shows that proven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early intervention and family support services that keep children safely connected to family, community and culture are critically underfunded and under-resourced.

The webinar will be an opportunity to hear directly about the key findings from Family Matters 2025, alongside insights from the Barriers Experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Families Accessing Legal Supports Scoping Study published by SNAICC and NATSILS under Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021–2031. The discussion will centre on the evidence demonstrating the need for prevention, early intervention, family support and culturally safe legal services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, and the systemic reforms required to reduce over-representation, strengthen families and achieve lasting change.

Speakers

• Catherine Liddle, Chief Executive Officer, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children |
  Co-Chair, Family Matters Leadership Group
• Associate Professor Paul Gray, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney | Co-Chair, Family Matters Leadership Group
• Richard Weston, Chief Executive Officer, Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation
• Clark Webb, Chief Executive Officer, Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation | Founder, Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School
• Nerita Waight, Deputy Chair, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) | Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

Speakers will share their perspectives and lived experience on how culturally safe, community-led approaches strengthen families, uphold children’s rights to connection with kin, community and culture, and support lifelong health, wellbeing and identity.