2025 Annual Report
Impact through partnership
Collaborating for IMPACT In a year marked by funding uncertainty and sector-wide pressure, we focused on what we could control, strengthening partnerships, amplifying voices, and advocating for the people and communities we support. Through partnerships, Siblings Australia were able to extend our reach and ensure continuity of support - even as funding pressures increased. With collaboration, we not only remained agile, informed and connected, but also reinforced the critical importance of our work, ensuring siblings and families continued to be #acknowledged #connected #resilient.
We’ve expanded and deepened partnerships to maximise collective impact, extending local, state and national reach
We’ve cultivated relationships with key stakeholders such as
Advocacy remained central to our work, grounded in lived experience and informed by collaboration. This year we:
Contributed to consultations, submissions and sector working groups Partnered on shared advocacy priorities Supported the amplification of lived experience perspectives
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AMPLIFYING Our Voice On 10 April 2025, National Siblings Day, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC was appointed Patron of Siblings Australia. This significant appointment, announced on a day dedicated to recognising the more than four million siblings across Australia who support a brother or sister with disability or chronic illness, marked an important milestone for our organisation. In accepting the role, the Governor-General said:
“Siblings Australia’s work highlights the vital role siblings of children and adults with disability play over a lifetime. Siblings Australia play an important role to support them as they support their loved ones.”
Her Excellency’s distinguished leadership and service to the Australian community, together with her lived experience as a sibling, bring both national visibility and deep personal understanding to our work. Her patronage strengthens our advocacy efforts and reinforces our commitment to ensuring siblings are intentionally recognised within policy, embedded in programs such as Thriving Kids, and included in broader community conversations about disability, care and family wellbeing. We are honoured to work alongside Her Excellency to elevate the voices of siblings and strengthen recognition of their lifelong contribution. A short video message from Her Excellency is available by clicking or scanning the QR code.
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STRENGTHENING Our Foundation This year unfolded in a context of ongoing funding uncertainty and change across the sector. As a Board, our focus remained on stewardship, sustainability and ensuring the organisation stayed true to its purpose while responding thoughtfully to a shifting environment. Rather than retreating in the face of uncertainty, Siblings Australia strengthened its commitment to collaboration and advocacy. Partnerships were not only maintained but strengthened, reflecting a clear understanding that collective effort is essential to achieving lasting impact, particularly during challenging times. The Board is proud of the way the organisation has continued to engage constructively with partners, contribute to sector conversations, and elevate lived experience perspectives. This work reinforces both credibility and influence, positioning Siblings Australia as a trusted voice and collaborator, and enables us to advocate effectively for government reforms that better recognise and support siblings and families. I would like to thank our partners, stakeholders and supporters for their continued trust and engagement, and acknowledge the professionalism and dedication of our Chief Executive and her team in navigating this period with integrity and purpose. I would also like to express my appreciation to my board colleagues for their thoughtful and considered stewardship through this period. We enter the year ahead with clarity of direction and a strong foundation.
Samantha Hellams, Board Chair
Sam Hellams pictured with Siblings Australia Child Consultative Committee member, Astrid, during their visit to Parliament House to advocate for siblings
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Building CONNECTIONS, Driving CHANGE This year required us to be both realistic and resilient. Funding uncertainty, policy shifts and increasing demand shaped the environment in which we worked, but did not define our response. We chose to focus on what we could strengthen: partnerships, advocacy and connection. By working closely with partners, listening to lived experience, and contributing to shared advocacy efforts, we ensured our work remained responsive, informed and impactful. Collaboration enabled us to extend our reach, share expertise and remain present in communities, even as resources were constrained. Advocacy continued to be a key focus, as part of a collective effort to influence systems and improve outcomes. I am deeply grateful to our partners for their trust and willingness to work alongside us, and to our small, but mighty team for their resilience, flexibility and commitment.
Advocating for siblings: Dr Shannon Schedlich and Child Consultative Committee member Astrid met with former Minister for the NDIS and Government Services, Bill Shorten, to champion the inclusion of siblings in the Thriving Kids model.
While the year ahead will continue to bring challenges, our path forward is clear: to invest in relationships, advocate for the meaningful inclusion of siblings within the rollout of Thriving Kids, champion those who care for others, and partner across sectors to create stronger, more inclusive communities, so that families are supported as whole systems, not in parts.
Dr Shannon Schedlich, Chief Executive
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Our FINANCIALS The uncertainty surrounding funding made this a particularly challenging year for Siblings Australia. Delays in government processes and the development of a new funding framework for the rollout of Thriving Kids, together with a lack of clarity around continued Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) funding, significantly affected our ability to plan with confidence, allocate resources and commit to longer-term initiatives. Against this backdrop, our financial approach has been firmly focused on sustainability. We have carefully balanced the need to continue delivering essential services to the sibling community with the responsibility of protecting the organisation’s longer-term financial position. Budget constraints have required us to make considered decisions about where and how our resources are used. Spending has been closely monitored, discretionary expenditure reviewed and, where appropriate, initiatives deferred or scaled back. While these decisions have not always been easy, they have been necessary to ensure Siblings Australia remains financially responsible, adaptable and able to continue its important work. I would like to acknowledge our team and leadership for their diligence, adaptability and commitment throughout this period. Their willingness to work within tighter financial parameters, respond to changing circumstances and remain focused on the needs of siblings has enabled us to navigate a difficult year with integrity and professionalism. As we move into the next financial year, our priority will be to strengthen the organisation’s financial sustainability while continuing to advocate for greater funding certainty. This will require us to remain disciplined in our decision-making, explore diverse and sustainable sources of income, and focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact. Finally, we are extremely grateful for the continued support Siblings Australia receives from our community. Financial donations are always greatly appreciated; however, we also recognise the many people who generously contribute their time, skills, energy and advocacy. Every contribution helps Siblings Australia continue supporting siblings and strengthens the sustainability of our organisation and its work.
Kevin Johnson, Treasurer
To view our full financial statement, visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) website: acnc.gov.au
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Building MOMENTUM With hopes of funding on the horizon, we are well positioned to move forward with clarity and confidence. Our priorities and direction remain clear moving forward:
Deepening strategic partnerships.
Continuing collective advocacy.
Strengthening sustainability through collaboration.
Remaining responsive to community and sector needs.
Deliver programs and supports that are meaningful and accessible for all people across all regions in all corners of the country.
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