This is a national conference that aims to attract upwards of 200 participants including foster carers, practitioners, policy makers, academics and others. Such a significant professional development and stakeholder participation event will challenge, inform and influence delegates through a focus on cutting edge, innovative ideas, fresh perspectives and wisdom learned from experience.

Its purpose is to contribute significantly to our understanding of foster care in Australia, hearing about foster carers’ experiences and stories, providing opportunities for networking and sharing of information and ideas between workers and carers, researchers and policy makers and any other combination of delegates rubbing shoulders at the Conference.

Bringing all parties involved in foster care together in the one place at the Conference allows time to consider the factors which impact on the wellbeing of children in care as stakeholders in policy, programmes and service delivery. It will highlight the issues and challenges facing these vulnerable children and young people in care and their families today and explore preventative and strengths-based strategies for improving future, positive outcomes for them on a local and national level.

We may even find answers to the question:

How do we raise them up to be the best that they can be?