Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June, 2016 childhood.org.au ACN: 057 044 514 Table of Contents Reflections of 30 years of protecting children 4 Map of our services 5 The Australian Childhood Foundation 6 Forged in the fires of advocacy – the Australian Childhood Foundation timeline 8 Highlights for 2015-16 Safeguarding Children Program 11 Our International Childhood Trauma Conference 13 Woon-yah Ngullah Goorlanggass program, Perth 15 Our new Perth Trauma Centre 16 NAIDOC Awards 16 Out-of-Home Care and Family Violence Counselling, Tasmania 17 The Listening Project 17 Our ambassadors Eddie Betts 19 Clint Newton 20 John Xintavelonis 20 Carolyn Creswell 21 Stefan Dennis raises $30,000 21 Fundraising highlights 2015-16 Hill Street Gala Dinner 2015 23 In the Heart of the Sea Special Screening 24 Our Patron, Chris Hemsworth 25 The Foundation in the media 27 The Foundation social media 28 Board, Patrons and Ambassadors 29 Management, Supporters and Accreditation Panels 30 Our heartfelt thanks 31 Become involved and support our work 32 Financials Directors’ Report 34 Auditor’s independence declaration 37 Statement of profit and loss and other comprehensive income 39 Statement of financial position 40 Statement of changes in equity 41 Statement of cashflows 42 Notes to the financial statements 43 Directors’ Declaration 56 Independent Audit Report 57 Please note that all children used in this report are models. Page 2 Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2016 In 2014–15, there were 320,169 notifications of abuse and neglect across Australia. That equates to one report of abuse every two minutes. Of the notifications investigated, 56,400 reports were substantiated. The number of children who were the subject of substantiations has risen by 35% since 2 010 –11 (from 31,527 to 42,457 in 2014–15). Page 3 Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2016 Reflections of 30 years of protecting children It is 30 years almost to the day that the Australian Childhood Foundation was first incorporated as an organisation. And it is 50 years since the first article on ‘Battered Child Syndrome’ was published in the Australian Journal of Medicine by Dr Robert Birrell and Dr John Birrell – two pioneering brothers who exposed the extent of child physical abuse in the community. Both of these anniversaries are symbolically The community’s ongoing avoidance of the issue significant for all of us who have worked to undermines its willingness, confidence and ability protect children and support their recovery from to resource individuals to better recognise child the trauma associated with abuse and family abuse and take action to protect children. violence. They marked a clear point in time It makes it less likely that adults will believe that we declared that we would not live in a children if they disclose abuse. It means that community that in any way tolerates the abuse we will find it difficult to tolerate the distress of of its most vulnerable – our children. abused children and find the capacity to respond to them supportively. It was a modern declaration that was based on the most simple of principles. Children need It clearly suggests that people experience strong adults to stand up for them. A just society reactions when they come face to face with advocates the loudest for its most silenced, not child abuse, mirroring the anger, sorrow and for its most powerful. powerlessness most often experienced by the children and young people being abused. The Foundation grew out of this mission and has evolved into a national organisation that delivers We need to continue to work together to • specialist trauma therapy programs for empower and resource the community to act children, families and carers; when they are concerned that a child is being abused or is at risk of abuse, rather than feel • parenting education and support programs; impotent or a hostage to the problem. • professional education and training for those who work with and support vulnerable Our aim is simple into our next 30 years. We want children and young people; to continue to build a community that cares for • safeguarding children resources for children and is committed to ensuring their safety. organisations that provide a service or activity It is not a pipe dream to think we can achieve it. It for children and young people. is a realistic purpose that we can find in ourselves and make happen. Even children know it. One But our work is far from over. Our research young boy in our counselling programs shared has continued to show that as a community with me his views about how child abuse can be we continue to believe that child abuse is prevented. I will never forget them. perpetrated by adults who are somehow different from us and in communities that are different He told me that “…child abuse will only stop from our own. In reality, child abuse and neglect when children like me become important to are not problems that live in the margins of everyone…” our community, but in our streets, schools and neighborhoods. I will never forget those words. They are the words at the heart of the Foundation now and into the future. Joe Tucci, CEO Page 4 Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2016 Map of our services Where we work Trauma Counselling Team Residential and Foster Care Trauma Team Trauma Training Team Safeguarding Children Team Parenting Support Team Trauma Research Centre Page 5 Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2016 The Australian Childhood Foundation The Australian Childhood Foundation is an independent children’s charity working in a number of ways to prevent child abuse and reduce the harm it causes to children, families and the community. Research Team Trauma o Kinship Carers Trauma oo oo f o Services Teachers Team Team Children Residential Parenting Carers o o Team Team o Carers o o o Australian Childhood Foundation teams The people we support Page 6 Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2016 Forged in the fires of advocacy – the Australian Childhood Foundation timeline 1986 1992 2001 On October 6, the Victorian VICSPCAN takes on a Launch and roll out Society for the Prevention national focus and changes national Every Child Is of Child Abuse and Neglect name to Australians Against Important campaign with (VicSPCAN) is ‘forged in the Child Abuse. Pioneers in the support of singers Van fires of advocacy,’ says our the field of child advocacy Morrison and Rod Stewart. CEO, Joe Tucci. and protection, police Over 1.5 million booklets surgeon Dr Robert Birrell and are distributed to parents paediatrician Dr John Birrell, across Australia. are our first patrons. 1988 VicSPCAN’s first publication, Victoria’s Protective 1995 2002 Services: Dual Track Pioneer the first therapeutic Now have 14 staff and an and Double Standards, program in Australia for operating budget of $1 the book by Prof Chris children under the age of million. Goddard based on his 12 years who engaged in paper of the same name, problem sexual behaviour. has major impact. Media attention spurs radical reform of Victoria’s child protection system, including establishment of a central register, a 24-hour crisis service, additional 1998 2003 funding and staffing Win the Australian Institute Change our name to and the abolition of the of Criminology National Australian Childhood tragically flawed ‘dual Violence Prevention Award Foundation to reflect our track’ approach. for our efforts to prevent status as an organisation child abuse. with multiple and complex approaches to addressing the issue of child abuse across Australia. 1991 Release Tolerating Violence Our first specialist trauma Against Children - a report centre is established, 2001 tracking community providing counselling and attitudes to child abuse support to children who Advocate for in Australia have suffered physical, establishment of National sexual and emotional Sex Offenders Register and abuse. We have a staff of compulsory Working with just one full-time worker and Children Checks. one part-time worker. Page 7 Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2016 2004 2007 2008 Pioneer Australia’s The Foundation is In partnership with first trauma-informed instrumental in the Anglicare Victoria, we Therapeutic Foster Care introduction of Cody’s secure funding to pilot Program in collaboration Law in Victoria, which is specialist therapeutic with Anglicare Victoria and designed to ensure child residential care programs Department of Human homicide offenders are in two metropolitan regions Services Victoria. jailed for much closer to the of Melbourne. maximum 20-year term. The Release Do Not Turn law is named in honour of Away tracking Tasmanian 5-year-old Cody Hutchings community attitudes who died violently at the about child abuse and hands of his stepfather. child protection. 2008 Launch our national Stop Child Abuse Now prevention campaign. 2005 2007 Win National Child Establish Child Abuse Protection Award. Research Australia (CAPRA), a major research centre, in Release The Changing Face partnership with the School of Parenting report, tracking of Primary Health Care, attitudes of parents in 2009 Faculty of Medicine, Nursing contemporary Australia. and Health Sciences, Establish Child Trauma Monash University. Services in Hobart, Launceston, Canberra and Adelaide, our first outside of Victoria. 2006 2008 Pioneer the application of With Monash University the emerging field of the and Access Economics, 2009 neuroscience of trauma to we release a report, The providing therapeutic services Cost of Child Abuse in Merge with the Australian for children affected by Australia, that finds that Council for Children abuse and family violence. child abuse costs taxpayers and Youth Organisations up to $30 billion (ACCYO) to deliver the Release Out of Sight, Out of Safeguarding Children Mind report on community Program for child-based attitudes to child abuse and organisations.