Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council - Meeting Minutes

10 June 2026

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting was held on 10 June 2026. Ms Amanda Tobler chaired the meeting.

Collaboration and partnering practice: Presentations

The Chair provided an overview of the Council role, 2026 focus and purpose of the session.

A short scene setting video was played.

Presentation 1: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

The Council welcomed guest presenters from Canberra Health Services.

CAHMS provides services to children and young people up to 18 years, and young adults up to 25 years with moderate to severe mental health conditions.

The presentation provided an overview of the Child and Adolescent Unit (CAU) and Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre (EDRTC), current presentation trends, pilot programs underway and interactions with the Next Steps strategy.

Presentation 2: Clinical Practice

The Council welcomed guest presenter from the Education Directorate.

Clinical practice operates on a consent for service to enable students, particularly those with disability, mental health needs, trauma background or other vulnerabilities to access education, participate meaningfully and experience inclusion, safety and wellbeing.

The presentation outlined the current Clinical support services within schools, programs, types of clinical support and the importance of partnerships to ensure vulnerable young people have access to participate in education.

Presentation 3: Therapeutic Support Panel (TSP)

The Council welcomed guest presenter from the Therapeutic Support Panel (TSP).

The TSP was established under the Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility legislation and focuses on referrals of children and young people with complex needs up to the age of 18 years.

The presentation highlighted the TSP’s collaborative, relationship-based approach to assessing and supporting children and young people referred. This includes developing tailored therapeutic support plans, while navigating legislative limits, service capacity and capability and the importance of clear delegations.

Presentation 4: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

The Council welcomed guest presenters from the Health and Community Services Directorate.

The presentation outlined the TIDES (Trauma Intervention, Development and Emotional Support) program, co-design efforts to develop the program, building understanding in community on trauma-informed practice, trauma informed practice training (sector uplift) and the consultation process informing the program design.

Collaboration and partnering practice:  Panel Discussion

Members and guest participants engaged in a panel discussion, with Council members expressing interest in several key areas including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness training and engagement with the Aboriginal Community.
• Training and awareness initiatives to support LGBTIQA+ children and young people, and to ensure programs provide safe and inclusive environments.
• Strategies to support a systems-based approach that nurture the relationship-based nature of program delivery.
• Mechanisms for safe information-sharing, including establishing a single source of truth and improving of accessibility of information sharing processes for practitioners and non-senior staff.
• How senior stakeholders are challenging legislation barriers and advocating for reforms to improve service delivery for vulnerable children and young people.

Members reflections on presentations and panel discussion

Members discussed the format and focus of the next meeting on Youth Justice. Suggestions included a shift towards shorter presentations with more time allocated for panel discussions, dialogue and questions throughout, extending meeting duration and reducing the number of attendees in the room.

The next CFRMAC meeting is scheduled for 19 August 2026.

22 April 2026

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting held on 22 April 2026, was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

A member shared an update on a newly commenced two-year funded child safety exploitation project.

Collaboration and partnering practice - Key discussion points:

Members held an in-depth discussion on collaboration and partnering practice which included the foundational elements of collaboration, key elements required for genuine collaboration in the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) sector and identified barriers.

Foundational and key elements discussed included:

• The 4 Cs of collaboration –Communicate, Coordinate, Cooperate, Create.
• The use of common language, contemporary engagement models and ensuring the right people are involved from the outset.
• Person centred and family centred approach, enabling children and families to participate in a meaningful way.
• A shared commitment to a system change approach, embedding family connection and engagement into decision making.
• 'Keeping it real' by understanding what each partner brings to the table, acknowledge the resource constraints and respecting different working paces.

Barriers discussed included:

• Concerns raised about Aboriginal communities being engaged in tokenistic way, where consultation is treated as a box-ticking exercise rather than true collaboration that enables Aboriginal voices to be independently presented.
• Siloed working, limiting effective integration and information sharing across Government and the community sector.
• Exclusion of families and cultural systems from decision making.

Some members also shared personal examples of both successful and unsuccessful collaboration to illustrate these points.

CYF Journey Mapping – key discussion points:

The Health and Community Service Directorate (HCSD) presented to the Council on the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Journey Mapping project.

The journey maps were described as practice informed illustrations that show how children, young people and carers may experience the CYF system at different points in time. HCSD presented six personas developed through project. It was noted that these personas are not intended to represent every experience but rather serve as a visual tool to understand the reform journey across three stages - from where we have been (before 2022), where we are now (2026) and where we are heading (2030).

Members expressed varied views on the Journey mapping tool. Some members suggested further consultation and formatting additions, while others considered the visual tool to be a useful way to communicate the reform journey.

Forward Planning – Key discussion points:

Members participated in a planning discussion to prepare for the next two Council meetings, which will focus on collaboration and partnering practice in Mental Health and Youth Justice sectors.

The discussion covered potential guest participants, outcomes to be achieved and the meeting logistics. Members also agreed that a covering paper would be prepared for invited participants outlining background information, introducing the Council and set out the focus of the session.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 10 June 2026.

4 March 2026 - Planning day

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council held a planning day on 4 March 2026, chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

The purpose of the planning day was to reflect on the Councils two years of operations, provide recommendations to inform future council models and undertake planning for a potential focus group.

Lessons Learnt - key discussion points:

Members shared reflections on the Councils achievements over its two years of operation, noting significant progress in work health and safety initiatives that have supported safe, inclusive and meaningful participation.

Members discussed considerations for the next iteration of the Council, including key recommendations to provide the Minister and advice that supports safe working environment.

Considerations raised for future Council models included:

• the importance of maintaining diverse representation.
• embedding focus groups into the Council structure.
• ensuring appropriate onboarding for new and/or existing members.
• time commitments and available supports.
• mentorship options for young members.
• cultural and trauma informed training.
• clarity on the role of Government within the Council.

Focus group planning - key discussion points:

Members explored options for facilitating a focus group, including its purpose, scope and potential topics. There was agreement that collaboration should remain central, given its role in supporting system improvement.

Several possible focus areas were identified, including:

• Youth participation in senior government forums.
• The impact of the first four years of reform on children and young people with lived and living experience of the out-of-home care system.
• The experiences of children and young people with lived and living experience when transitioning to new service providers.

Members discussed the practical requirements for delivering a focus group, including defining clear goals, key questions and the specific reform areas to be examined. Discussion also included the complexity of the issues, along with constraints such as the limited time remaining in the Council’s term.

Given these considerations, members agreed that further time is needed to refine the topic and assess whether a focus group should proceed.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 22 April 2026.

18 February 2026

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting held on 18 February 2026 was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

The Chair provided an update to members on discussion held from meeting with the Ministers Office in January 2026, updated members on changes to the format of the Council agenda and reminded members of their work, health and safety obligations.

A member noted that The Public Sector (Closing the Gap) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 had passed and was interested how this would apply to the operations of the Council and the work of the HCSD.

Members discussed the format of meeting minutes and agreed on changes that support accurate reflections of discussions and timely distribution.

Members had an in-depth discussion on the Council workplan and format to facilitate a future focus group. It was agreed that the next meeting on 4 March 2026 would be run as a planning day to map out and work through the arrangements for the focus group.

The Council welcomed consultants from Rooftop Social and Curijo who facilitated a consultation on the Next Steps Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning project. The consultation explored the theory of change and evaluation work underway as part of the project. Members had meaningful discussion and provided important advice on what the system must never get wrong.

The meeting concluded with a live demonstration from HCSD on the PowerBI dashboard. Members were shown the dashboard, its functions and HCSD provided an overview of the tool’s purpose to track the implementation of actions under the Next Steps Strategy Action Plan #1.

The next meeting will be held on 4 March 2026.

20 November 2025

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting, held on 20 November 2025, was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

The Council welcomed Michael Pettersson, Minister for Children, Youth and Families.

The Minister reflected on the Strategy and work of change as ongoing. He reinforced the important role of the Council to provide actional advice to Government and thanked Council members commitment and advocacy.

Members and the Minister had an in-depth discussion on the Council workplan and how the reform embeds collaboration to deliver seamless service provision across government. The discussion explored models that were successful in delivering collaborative services, shifts in perceptions including a shift away from needing to be in the system to have needs met, early intervention and mechanisms and systems change needing to be seen at all levels from high level changes to on the ground.

The Council meeting concluded with two presentations from the Health and Community Services Directorate.

The first the presentation provided a snapshot with examples of the Next Steps reform approaches, HCSD models and governance examples.

The second presentation provided an update on the work being done to deliver a monitoring, and evaluation framework including performance management framework.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 18 February 2026.

17 September 2025

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting, held on 17 September 2025 and was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

Health and Community Service Directorate provided an update on how the information from the Council’s Annual Summary Report is being used and strategies and approaches to support staff’s psychosocial wellbeing.

Members received four presentations from Health and Community Services Directorate.

The first presentation provided an update on actions under the Next Steps first action plan, the development of a Power BI dashboard to monitor and track action progress and sought early feedback on Council’s role in the development of the second action plan in 2026.

The second presentation outlined the system shifts to deliver a contemporary service system including a focus on a collaborative and collective approach to ensure smoother life transitions for children and young people within and exiting care. Members discussed how success will be measured and work across the system so children, young people and families can access the services they need, when they need them.

The third presentation explored emerging issues identified through the Therapeutic Support Panel’s work and delivered through its annual report. It included details on the challenges children and young people experience navigating the service system and the work underway to improve system barriers.

The final presentation provided an overview of areas of risk for young people, available programs and services to young people, current governance arrangements and explored gaps in service.

Members were provided a factsheet and list of current Health and Community Services Directorate Ministerial Advisory Councils.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 20 November 2025.

6 August 2025

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting held on 6 August 2025 was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

This meeting focused on the draft workplan circulated out of session for consideration. Members discussed the details of the plan including how the Council best uses their time, resources and the areas of focus to guide their work through to September 2026.

Other discussion points from the meeting included membership options to add new member and the Council asked for feedback from Health and Community Services Directorate on the Council’s first annual report.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 17 September 2025.

21 May 2025

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting was held on 21 May 2025 and was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

The Chair shared a letter received from the Minister for Children, Young People and Families. The letter outlined 2025 priorities, topics that the Minister would like the Council to focus on and suggestions on Council operations for the remainder of the term.

Members engaged in an in-depth discussion exploring Council’s role, focus and how to incorporate Minister’s priorities into the workplan. Members agreed for the Chair to respond to the Minister reflecting key discussion points and the Council’s next steps.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 6 August 2025.

26 March 2025

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting, held on 26 March 2025, was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

The meeting focused on ways to support participation including young people/people with lived experience. The outcomes included:

• Agreement that diverse membership including young people, people with lived experience and professionals allowed for important knowledge exchange
• Meeting in a community space with connection to outdoor spaces
• Ability to use spaces at meeting venue to take a break/step away if needed
• Cultural training for all Council members
• Council considerations on how it shares information about their work with the Community
• Interest in the Council acting as ‘real-time’ advice/support to the Minister
• A support worker available for members at council meetings and pre/post meetings
• More young people on the Council, including First Nations young people and young people with a variety of ages/experience
• Include birth parents to get their perspective on engaging with the system
• Shifting language to ensure that discussions are understood by everyone in the room and the use of safe language to support psychological safety of members.

The next CFRMAC meeting will be held on 21 May 2025.

4 September 2024

Members of the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met on 4 September 2024; Ms Amanda Tobler chaired the meeting.

Council Focus Groups did not meet between the July and September 2024 meetings. No update was provided as a result.

Members welcomed representatives from the Children and Young People Commission who presented to the Council on the recently released 'Listen to me!' report. The report outlines, from the perspectives of children and young people engaged in the Out of Home Care system, that they need to feel listened to.

The Council noted the five actions the report recommended and undertook to promote and share the report through their individual networks.

The Community Services Directorate spoke to the Council on the Children, Young People and Families Panel procurement.

Members were able to ask a range of questions regarding the Panel and the implementation of this including how evaluation, performance management and outcomes will be embedded.

The Council also received an overview of the recent work undertaken within the Community Services Directorate to address language use and sought the views of the Council as to further areas to be addressed.

The Council noted that 1-7 September 2024 was National Child Protection Week.

The Council welcomed Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA who provided the Council with a brief update on the budget outcomes and their impact on child, youth and family services.

The Minister acknowledged the recent resignation of Council member Professor Dea Delaney-Thiele and thanked her for her contribution.

30 July 2024

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting, held on 30 July 2024 was chaired by Ms Amanda Tobler.

Reporting on Outcomes of Focus Group Meetings

Council Focus Groups met for the third time during early July 2024. The Chair of each Focus Group provided an overview of their meeting to the Council.

Cross Sector Workforce/Tools/Training and Evaluation Focus Group

The Focus Group received a presentation on LGBTIQA+ workforce issues and inclusivity. The Group has developed a set of recommendations which will be formally presented to the Council on the next occasion for discussion and endorsement.

Children and Young People Act- Legislative Reform

The Focus Group discussed the reform of care orders in the Children and Young People Act 2008. It was noted that this was a challenging meeting and members with lived experience were thanked by members for sharing their experiences. The group provided feedback to the Community Service Directorate in respect of language and taking individuals into account.

CYF reform

The focus group was due to meet in two weeks’ time but had not met since the last meeting due to leave arrangements.

Discussion with Education Directorate regarding Next Steps strategy intersections

Representatives from the Education Directorate attended the Council meeting and discussed the role of Education within the Next Steps reform.

Child and Family Reform Communications Update

Representatives from the Communications and Engagement team of the Community Service Directorate provided the Council with an overview of the draft communications plan for the current Child and Family Reform and sought feedback from the Council.

Key Messages

• Members noted that Sunday 4 August is National Aboriginal Children’s Day.
• There will be significant transition of services over the next 12 months and ongoing adjustment to communications will be essential to support the community and all stakeholders; and
• Agreed to holding a planning day in early 2025.

12 June 2024

Members of the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met on 12 June 2024; Ms Amanda Tobler chaired the meeting.

The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Council provided an overview of a recent meeting with Minister Stephen-Smith. Topics discussed in the meeting included membership of the council, possible changes to the Term of Reference as well as discussion of the May 2024 meetings of the council.

Council Focus Groups met for the second time during late April and early June 2024. The Chair of each focus group provided an overview of their meeting to the Council.

Cross Sector Workforce/Tools/Training and Evaluation Focus Group

The Group received a presentation on workforce issues in child protection and discussed the lack of focus on recruitment compared to retention. The focus group suggested more diverse recruitment strategies need to be considered including recruitment of people with lived experience.

Children and Young People ACT

The focus group provided feedback on the proposed new information sharing provisions within the Act. The group provided feedback regarding risks associated with wider information sharing in respect of privacy and noted the necessity of a robust system to support information sharing.

CYF reform

The focus group received presentation regarding the extensive internal reform which is underway in the Children, Youth and Families division of the Community Service Directorate. The focus group noted that there is a raft of new training to be implemented along with a co-design process in relation to Structured Decision Making (SDM). This will be provided to the focus group for consideration.

The Council suggested communication with the Community Sector to understand the changes underway was essential.

Members received a presentation from the ACT Children’s Commissionon the Child Safe Standards including an update on current implementation activities. The Council noted that the standards become active in legislation in August 2024.

The Council provided feedback on the need to include cultural rights as part of the standards.

The next CFRMAC meeting is scheduled for 30 July 2024.

10 May 2024 – Extraordinary Meeting

Members of the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met on 10 May 2024 for an extraordinary meeting following the early finish of the 2 May 2024 meeting.

Ms Amanda Tobler chaired the meeting.

Senior staff from the Community Services Directorate thanked members for the feedback which had been received since the meeting of 2 May 2024 and shared the Directorate’s reflections on how those matters were handled. There was appreciation for members of the Council to continue to raise their views.

Members of the council acknowledged the challenging nature of the previous meeting and thanked those who had reached out to check in on individuals.

Members discussed a range of options to be considered to support young people after a significant critical incident. Discussion included the role education can play, with schools providing a location for services to connect with young people. Possible support for a community Aboriginal school in the future was also discussed.

Members also discussed the impacts of the significant incident on carers as well as children and considered how the wider sector could band together to support those impacted.

Representatives from the Community Service Directorate shared some examples where cross sector collaboration had been successful and areas where there was room for further improvement.

Members further discussed the need for an environment where young people can come together with trusted adults to grieve. Members shared examples where this was successful and young person led.

The Council agreed to an invitation being provided to Education Directorate to speak to the Council and members agreed to items which had not been addressed at the meeting of
2 May 2024 to be addressed out of Session.

The next CFRMAC is scheduled to occur on 12 June 2024.

2 May 2024

Ms Amanda Tobler chaired the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council meeting on 2 May 2024.

Council Focus Groups met for the first time during the week of 8-12 April 2024. The Chair of each focus group provided an overview of their meeting to the Council.

Cross Sector Workforce/Tools/Training and Evaluation Focus Group

The focus group identified Workforce capability as a significant area of focus along with a need for increased improvement in the system regarding collaboration and engagement.

Children and Young People ACT

The focus group provided feedback on the accessibility of the ACT in general and will focus on accessibility of information.

CYF reform

The focus group discussed the presentation the group received regarding the extensive internal reform which is underway in the Children, Youth and Families division of the Community Service Directorate. It was noted that there is a raft of new training to be implemented along with a co-design process in relation to Structured Decision Making. This will be provided to the focus group for consideration.

The Council suggested communication with the Community Sector to understand the changes underway was essential.

Prior to morning tea, a member raised their distress at being unable to discuss the recent death of a young Aboriginal person. They raised concerns that either the Council was not being brave enough to discuss the matter or was being silenced by the directorate. The member stated that it was a continuation of the past 200 years of Aboriginal people being silenced.

The member along with several other members left the meeting. As the Council was no longer at quorum and out of respect for the decision by some members to leave the Chair made decided to cancel the remainder of the meeting.

20 March 2024

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met on 20 March 2024 for their second meeting of the year.

The Council acknowledged the recent passing of member Dr Joe Tucci and reflected on his significant contributions and achievements within the child welfare sector. The Council welcomed Ms Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young Peoples Commissioner.

An overview of the history and recommendations of the Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight report was provided to the Council. The Council acknowledged their role in ensuring the outstanding recommendations from the report are implemented as well as the role of education and the importance of data sovereignty.

The Council then heard an overview of the Therapeutic Support Panel. It commented on the need for partner organisations to provide culturally safe services and supports including engagement with Community Elders.

The Council was given a presentation regarding the draft probity charter. Members provided feedback and asked for a summary charter in easy English to be developed. The Council also agreed to a dedicated communications plan being developed for the Council.

Minister Stephen-Smith joined towards the end of the meeting. The Minister also acknowledged the passing of Dr Joe Tucci and his impact within the ACT and the nation more widely. Minister Stephen-Smith provided updates to the Council regarding the Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2024 (no. 2) and noted there will be a third stage to this program of work. Minister Stephen-Smith also congratulated the recent appointments to the Council.

The Council agreed on the following key messages from the meeting:

• that Education is an essential contributor to reform
• to look at ways to engage Education in the work of the Council
• the importance of Our Booris, Our Way
• the importance of Aboriginal voice in the way reform is progressed
• the achievement of raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility
• the implementation of the Therapeutic Support Panel
• the connection between the Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee, the new Therapeutic Support Panel and the Ministerial Advisory Council
• the vital importance of data and how we evaluate the current reforms
• the current child and family reform is being progressed in a systematic and collaborative way.

7 February 2024

The Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met on Wednesday, 7 February 2024 for their first meeting of the year.

Members joined in an in-depth discussion to review the terms of reference for focus groups. The discussion included supports for people post group meetings, timings, process for people to be on focus groups.

Members received an update on the Children, Youth and Families Reform program from the Community Services Directorate.

The Council welcomed the Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA who provided some closing remarks including that she had enjoyed listening to the Council conversations regarding inclusiveness and fostering participation. The Minister reiterated the need to continue being open to feedback and expressed that she was excited about the areas of focus for the Council.

20 November 2023 – Planning day

Members of the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met for a planning day on 20 November 2023.

The Council workshopped the desired outcomes they would need to see in the sector to know that the Next Steps Strategy is successful and agreed the outcomes were:

• Children and Families get the supports they need when they need it.
• Systems work better together.
• Children and families leave the system better not worse.

The Council discussed the priority focus areas and agreed the main priorities for the Council in 2024 to be:

• Aboriginal led decision making and transition of case management responsibility.
• The Community Services Directorate - Children, Youth and Families division reform.
• Cross-sector workforce/Training/Tools/Data-evaluation.

Key themes were also considered and agreed as:

• Outcomes, evaluation and governance
• Communication and stakeholder engagement
• Integration of the service sector.

Members also reviewed the Council terms of reference and agreed on proposed final changes. The Council also agreed to developing three focus groups for the 2024 year aligned with the main priorities. Key principles were established to underpin the work of the focus groups.

27 September 2023

Members of the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council met for the first meeting of the Council on 27 September 2023. Ms Amanda Tobler chaired the meeting.

The Council welcomed Minister Stephen-Smith who acknowledged the commitment to reform and transparency. She noted the members of the Council with lived and living experience of the system and thanked them for their courage to be involved.

The Council had an in-depth discussed the terms of reference (TOR) and agreed to provide feedback can be provided out of session to the secretariat.

Members agreed that the next meeting should be run as a half day planning meeting and that a full day meeting to be scheduled in November 2023.

The Community Services Directorate provided a presentation regarding the Next Steps Strategy and current internal Children, Youth and Families Division reform.

The Council heard from the Community Services Directorate on the stage two amendments to the Children and Young People Act 2008.

The Council suggested a greater emphasis is needed on educational outcomes for young people engaged in the out of home care system and suggested principles for the ACT should include mention of ‘developmentally safe’ within the ‘stability and permanency’ principle.

Next meeting will be a planning day to be held in early November 2023.