Invitation

We warmly invite you to ACWA’s 2010 Conference — Building a Child Friendly Australia: Responding to Vulnerable Families. In particular, we look forward to welcoming overseas and interstate participants, whose involvement is always greatly appreciated and adds to the richness of our conversations. The ACWA conference is now widely regarded as a seminal event on the calendar for child and family practitioners, policy personnel, researchers and academics. We especially encourage participation from those who may be new to the sector or haven’t had the opportunity to attend before.

The program for ACWA 2010 aims to be influential and thought provoking. We want to challenge each other with ideas that take Research and Policy to Practice and indeed Practice to Policy and Research.

The 2010 agenda brings together internationally renowned keynotes from Australia and overseas. Our overseas keynotes this year include Robbie Gilligan (Trinity College), Aron Shlonsky (University of Toronto), Marion Brandon
(University of East Anglia), Robyn Munford (Massey University) and Ian Sinclair via videolink (University of York). All of the speakers are internationally renowned for their expertise in research and practice related to the theme of the conference. Our national keynotes will represent key leaders in the field.

Our social program is one not to be missed, including welcome drinks on the Monday evening and Conference dinner on the Tuesday evening. This will be a time to collaborate with colleagues near and far as we join together in promoting the wellbeing of children, young people and families.

There are many people involved in putting on an event of this magnitude who deserve the ACWA Board’s thanks. A special thanks however is due to Elizabeth Fernandez, who again has ensured the high standard of the program content in her role as Chair of the Scientific Program Committee. Our thanks also to her employer, the University of New South Wales, for their indulgence in allowing her the time to contribute.

We aim to make your conference experience a memorable one, where you are both challenged and affirmed, and have the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and meet others who share your vision of building a child friendly Australia.

 

Maree Walk
Conference Chair