Last Saturday, the Office of the Guardian’s beloved safety symbols – OoG and Nunga OoG – walked, danced, and hopped the 3.5km pageant track that led Father Christmas to Adelaide’s Town Hall, and marked the official welcoming of the ‘big guy in red’ to Australia.
This year’s pageant was a special milestone for the Office, celebrating Nunga OoG’s very first appearance.
On 29 September, the Australian Government tabled the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The report – which follows four and a half years of hearings, research and evidence – sets out 222 recommendations to better prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability in Australia.
Welcome to Claire, our new Advocate for children and young people in care.
On 1 August 2022, Shona Reid commenced her roles as the Guardian for Children and Young People, Child and Young Person’s Visitor, Training Centre Visitor and Youth Treatment Order Visitor.
With the first anniversary of her commencement just past, we sat down with Shona and asked her to share her reflections on the past year.
Often, we hear about children and young people in kinship or foster care living with families – and, in fact, this is the most common type of out-of-home care arrangement here in South Australian and nationally. However, there are over 700 children and young people in South Australia who are not living with families, but instead living in what are technically known as “Residential Care Facilities”.
Our office knows that children and young people in residential houses can face particular issues and vulnerabilities. This is why we operate a “Child and Young Person’s Visitor’ Program”.
Last month, the Guardian for Children and Young People, Shona Reid, published a new report about child protection expenditure in South Australia. The report takes an in-depth look at not only where money is being spent, but what this means for the lives and wellbeing of children and young people.
In recent weeks, the Guardian for Children and Young People, Shona Reid has been travelling regionally to connect with children and young people in care, carers, and service providers across the north of South Australia.
Guardian Shona Reid has just kicked off her regional visits, touching down in Ceduna yesterday afternoon.
In our role as advocates and helping to project the voices of children and young in care, we are often privileged to build long lasting, respectful connections with the young people we work alongside. Felicity Graham is an amazing woman who we have the absolutely honour of having such a relationship with.
As a mother of seven and a fierce protector of my children – some I have given birth to, others I have not – there is nothing I would not do for them. I was reminded of this when my 8-year-old son handed me a card for Mother’s Day, thanking me for all that I do for him. At the same time, at the pit of my stomach my thoughts went immediately to the children and young people who are without their own mothers.
We acknowledge and respect Aboriginal People as the traditional owners
and custodians of the land we live and work on, their living culture and their unique role in the life of South Australia.