Annual Review 2021-22

Acknowledgement of Country

Act for Kids would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where our Australian offices are based. We would also like to acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging.

We seek to foster a culture of friendship and partnership between Act for Kids and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and communities.

1770 Lookout, Queensland

Photo credit: David Myles

Act for Kids Annual Review

About Act for Kids

Act for Kids is a for-purpose organisation that delivers evidence-led professional therapy and support services to children and families, who have experienced or are at risk of harm. We have helped thousands of children and families for over 30 years.

Through our range of targeted child and family services, our purpose is to help keep kids safe, heal from trauma and lead happy lives.

Executive team

Chief Executive Officer Dr Katrina Lines

Chief Financial Officer Leanne Dreves

Executive Director of Service Operations Dr Kaye Pickering

Executive Director of Fundraising Amanda Williams

Executive Director of Service, Strategy and Growth Thomas McIntyre

Executive Director of People and Culture Koni Hanlon

Chief Operating Officer Youthrive Amy Turner

Patron

Board of Directors

Nigel Harris AM

Emmanuel Pappas

Zoe Newbury

Thomas Rice

Dr Ryan Mills

Emma Costello

Simon Neill

Gavin Mackey

Dr Rosemaria Flaherty

Paul Malt

Katie Choi

Patron

Her Excellency, the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland Ambassadors

Founding Ambassador Dr David Wood AM

Lifetime Ambassador Kay McGrath OAM Anomi Bruynius

Bruce Morcombe OAM

Denise Morcombe OAM

Kim Skubris

Jon Rouse APM

Lesley-Anne Houghton Maxine Horne

Pedro Gondim Quentin Flannery Ram Kangatharan Sascha Chandler

Ambassador Helen McGrory

Alecia Taryn

Chris Mountford

Gemma Mountford

Chairman & CEO Report

We’re pleased to have supported nearly 7,000 people through therapy services which was a 35 per cent increase on the previous year

The Act for Kids Group (including Youthrive) is proud to report its unwavering dedication to making a difference in the lives of Australian children and their families this past year. We were able to support 40,727 people in the 20212022 financial year through our service delivery, over half of whom were children who received life-changing interventions.

Although the not-for-profit sector has continued to endure economic challenges and experienced the negative financial impacts of the pandemic, the organisation’s consistent commitment to delivering exceptional services to children and families over the past 34 years has always remained a top priority.

Act for Kids has experienced a 30 per cent increase in demand since the pandemic began and this higher level of need has been sustained during 2021-22.

Fortunately, despite traditional fundraisers and events being disrupted due to border closures and restrictions in 2021, Act for Kids had the vision and flexibility to keep up with growing needs of children and families through exploring strategic options via our fee for service avenues. We’re pleased to have supported nearly 7,000 people through therapy services which was a 35 per cent increase on the previous year.

Another impact of the past year’s economic climate was the challenge of recruiting allied health practitioners at Act for Kids and Youthrive.

Unfortunately, the workforce shortages led to the financial decision to close the Ipswich therapy clinic at the end of 2021. This was a disappointing outcome after five years of face-to-face service delivery supporting children and families in Ipswich. We have however continued to help some of these families via tele-health in 2022 and were able to redeploy staff to the Wooloowin centre in Brisbane.

One of the most significant milestones of the past year was the supportive role the Act for Kids Group played in the development of an Aboriginal owned and operated organisation to represent the voice of the Doomadgee community.

Dr Katrina Lines, CEO

The Hon. Dr David Hamill AM, Chairman

Chairman & CEO Report

We are immensely proud to have supported Doomadgee Traditional Owners on their path to self-determination through the establishment of Goonawoona Jungai LTD (GJL), which will lead to better health, wellbeing and educational outcomes for First Nations people, particularly children and young people (see page 10).

The Act for Kids Group advocated on behalf of GJL to seek Queensland Government and stakeholder support and funding. Act for Kids has been delivering services in the remote Aboriginal community since 2009.

Other highlights include the significant growth within the organisation’s innovative Individual Support Services program that saw 147 people with significant needs receive specialised and tailored support (see page 10).

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our corporate partners, construction also started on a much-anticipated Act for Kids therapy centre located at Morayfield in Queensland (see page 11). The region has one of the highest numbers of vulnerable children in Australia and it’s hoped the centre will open in the new calendar year delivering much-needed therapy services to children and young people.

An exciting update following the launch of the organisation’s new purpose in 2020-2021 ‘We help to keep kids safe, heal from trauma and lead happy lives’ was the development of an impact framework to better report on the impact of our work and ensure future services can maximise this impact.

Throughout 2021-22, we collectively worked to research outcome measures which will help our team to capture the positive changes that occur in a child’s life whilst they’re an Act for Kids client – measures such as their happiness, safety and wellbeing. We look forward to sharing our impact in future annual reviews.

Act for Kids has a strong history spanning more than 34 years, however it is nearly impossible to support children and families without the ongoing backing of communities and organisations across Australia. Child protection is everybody’s business and the business’ success can in-part be attributed to the commitment of others helping our team deliver high quality services.

On behalf of the entire organisation, we would like to sincerely thank our Board, team members, donors, long-term partners and ambassadors for their overwhelming commitment and generosity to helping us keep kids safe, heal from trauma and lead happy lives. We are incredibly grateful for your dedication to Australian children.

Hamill Chairman Katrina LinesCEO

David

Natalia

SIX-YEAR OLD KATIE* came to Act for Kids needing help with her serious aggression challenges.

Katie’s mother had experienced domestic violence throughout her pregnancy and Katie was physically abused as an infant. She was removed from her mother’s care and placed in different foster environments where she needed significant medical intervention as a result of the physical abuse she had suffered.

Katie and her mother were eventually able to be reunited but the impacts of the early abuse remained. Katie was extremely aggressive, biting and hitting her mother and siblings, and was suspended from school due to her behaviour.

When Katie’s mother brought her to Act for Kids, her goals were for Katie to stop hurting others, for her not to be expelled from school and to be able to build friendships with other children her age.

Through Theraplay®, Act for Kids was able to help Katie and her mother re-build their relationship and support them both to work through Katie’s aggression and behavioural problems.

Theraplay® is a child and family therapy that helps strengthen relationships between a child and their caregiver by guiding them through playful, nurturing activities to create feelings of love, joy and safety. Carers improve their parenting skills by being supported “in the moment” to respond to children in their care.

*Name has been changed to protect the individual’s and family’s privacy.

Children who have experienced trauma can often have difficulty forming or maintaining safe, trusting relationships with adults, particularly when they are victims of abuse or neglect which was perpetrated by an adult figure in their life.

The physiological impacts of trauma can also result in children having problems with regulating their nervous system, leading to “difficult” behaviours such as anger, sleep problems and learning difficulties. Theraplay benefits both children and their caregiver, who may be a parent, extended family member or foster carer, by giving both the skills to build feelings of safety and help children improve self-regulation.

By working together in their Theraplay sessions, Katie’s Mum was able to learn how to help her heal from her past trauma.

After a few months of Theraplay treatment, Katie’s mother reported that Katie was no longer aggressive at home or school. After 10 months of Theraplay with Act for Kids, Katie had finished her school year without another suspension. Excitingly, she also received an award for positive behaviour and had started to be invited to parties with her friends.

® A Registered service mark of The Theraplay® Institute, Evanston, IL, USA

HIGHLIGHTS of the 2021-2022 year

The collaborative approach to the child’s wellbeing led to recognition at Child Protection Week with Goondiwindi State School winning the Education Initiative Award in 2021.

The ISS program is a model designed to achieve long-term impact and sustainable change now and for the future. It’s an exciting addition to the high-quality programs offered at Act for Kids, and one where we see considerable growth.

The organisation’s innovative Individual Support Services (ISS) program continues to grow in demand with 147 people receiving specialised and unique support during the financial year following the program’s pilot. This program, which is delivered in partnership with Child Safety, continues to gain momentum within the organisation as well as community recognition as it engages a highlyspecialised team to approach a child’s needs holistically via a tailored response.

The ISS team supported a Goondiwindi student, who had suffered significant trauma including enabling the student to remain engaged in learning and attending school as part of a partnership with their local school.

Of most importance, we can report significant positive outcomes for children and young people with the highest level of need.

Act for Kids is immensely proud to have supported the establishment of Goonawoona Jungai LTD, an Aboriginal controlled company, which will lead to better health, wellbeing and educational outcomes for First Nations people, particularly children and young people.

Act for Kids has been working in partnership with Traditional Owners through the SafeKids service, which has been delivered in Doomadgee since 2009.

and the launch of

Act for Kids is excited to see our bold vision to open a dedicated therapy centre in the Morayfield region come to fruition after construction started in June. The project, which is a partnership between Act for Kids, the Property Industry Foundation, Budget Direct powered by Auto & General, Caboolture Sports Club and Liebke Builders, will mean hundreds of children in the area will gain access to the help they deserve.

There are currently limited trauma-informed therapy services in the Morayfield region, however according to the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) 22.5 per cent of prep aged children in Morayfield are vulnerable.

This is twice the national average and nearly 10 per cent higher than the Queensland average of 13.9 per cent.

The project has been positively supported by the Hon. Mark Ryan, Queensland Minister for Police and Corrective Services, and is a wonderful example of the community, government and organisations coming together to protect children.

Our Morayfield centre is set to open in early 2023.

As part of the organisation’s strategic plan to achieve impact, Act for Kids partnered with Traditional Owners, Budget Direct powered by Auto & General and King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) to advocate for the Doomadgee community and seek the support and funding from the Queensland Government ahead of the establishment of a community-controlled organisation to represent the voices of community.

The advocacy efforts led to the exciting launch of Goonawoona Jungai outside Queensland Parliament House with key partners. This was endorsed by the Queensland Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships The Hon. Craig Crawford.

Act for Kids is proud to have played a supportive role in this special and significant project on behalf of Aboriginal People on their path to self-determination.

Act for Kids in action !

Thank you to our Supporters

The positive outcomes achieved throughout 2021-22 could not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors and partners, who provided so much more than just financial support, but also pro-bono, in-kind and volunteer services. We are deeply grateful…thank you.

Sponsors

• SOAK

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Pro-Bono Supporters

• Zenith Optimedia

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• Follow Agency

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• Vuly

Vivienne Court Trading

Fitzapatrick Family Charitable Trust

Saywell Foundation

Pickles Foundation