12/09/2022

Inspirational foster and kinship carers, a choir giving young people a powerful voice and a group of dedicated residential care staff were among the winners of the 2022 South Australian Child Protection Awards.

The awards are part of the annual National Child Protection Week event calendar in South Australia.

Delivered by the Department for Child Protection in partnership with the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), the awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of children and young people, carers, volunteers, staff and organisations from across the child protection sector.

Almost 300 nominations were received throughout South Australia across 11 categories – a 60 per cent increase on last year’s inaugural awards. An unprecedented number of nominations for carers highlight the critical role they play in child protection.

The Strong in Culture Strong in Voice choir took out the Outstanding Achievement award, celebrating an achievement of a child or young person, or group of children/young people, who has had a care experience.

The choir includes Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members, and was formed to give young people in residential care a voice and support reconciliation efforts.

The young people in the choir sang their original song “We stand together” at the Awards.

Other award winners for supporting children in care included the KWY Aboriginal Corporation for their working with vulnerable Aboriginal families to prevent or limit child protection involvement, as well as Life Without Barriers MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY TM program that connects and supports foster carers and the Department for Education, Children in Care Service, which aims to improve the educational outcomes of children and young people in care.

Quotes attributable to NAPCAN CEO Richard Cooke

I commend the work of the South Australian award recipients in helping to create safe and supportive environments for children. 

With the theme that ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’, Child Protection Week is a time to highlight that protecting children is not the job of a single department or agency, but the responsibility of all of us right across the community.

Child abuse and neglect is a community issue that affects us all and, when we work together, it is preventable.

2022 Award winners

Active Efforts Award

  • KWY Aboriginal Corporation
  • Jody Satala (Principal Aboriginal Consultant, Department for Child   Protection)

Outstanding Service Award – Non-government organisations

  • MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY Program Team, Life Without Barriers

Outstanding Service Award – Across Government

  • Children in Care Service, Department for Education

Outstanding Service Award – Department for Child Protection

  • Morphett Vale COVID Unit, Residential Care

Outstanding Service Award – Regional

  • Child Aware Approach Team, Uniting Country SA

South Australian Foster Carer of the Year

  • Debraha Bills

South Australian Kinship Carer of the Year

  • Corey and Robert Briggs

Volunteer of the Year  

  • Lyn Kennedy

The voice of children and young people in care

  • Fabian McPhee, Create Foundation

Positive Impact Award

  • Monique Cauchi, School Support Officer, Pulteney Grammar

Outstanding achievement of a child or young person (or group of children/young people) who has had a care experience (up to 25 years)  

  • Strong in Culture Strong in Voice choir

For more information about the awards, visit our 2022 South Australian Child Protection Awards page.