Conference 2026: Call for Speakers
Conference to be held on 7th and 8th May 2026 at Beaumonde on the Point, Perth.
This conference will focus on Children and Young Peoples Experiences of Family Separation.
Children and young people consistently express the need to be heard, informed, and meaningfully involved in decisions during and after family separation. They value clear communication, flexible parenting arrangements, and empathetic professionals who respect their perspectives. While many services work hard to meet these expectations, children still often feel overlooked – particularly in legal contexts.
This conference explores how we can better support children by building trust, improving communication, and ensuring their voices genuinely shape outcomes by:
- Supporting children and young people to feel heard, informed, and involved in decisions that affect their lives
- Empowering parents and caregivers to respond to children’s needs with empathy, flexibility, and clarity
- Listening to and acting on the voices of children and young people during and after family separation
Together, we aim to reimagine family separation through the eyes of children and build a more compassionate, child-focused sector.
Speaker Outline
We are now seeking proposals for presentations and/or workshops that:
- Highlight innovative practices, services, or policies that empower children and young people
- Explore trauma-informed approaches in legal and family services
- Offer research or evaluation insights relevant to child-focused interventions
- Share multidisciplinary strategies for improving child participation
- Examine ethical and legal considerations in child-inclusive practice
- Share child-inclusive and trauma-informed approaches
- Present research or evaluations relevant to child wellbeing
- Offer legal, therapeutic, or interdisciplinary perspectives
- Highlight services or programs that empower young people
- Bring forward lived experience or youth perspectives
Presentation Format
- 45-60 minutes leaving time for 5-10 minutes of questions from the audience
- Presentations to be prepared in Powerpoint and provided to organisers, no later that 2 weeks prior to the conference. This will then be displayed on projector whilst you present the content.
Audience
- Members of the Judiciary
- Parliamentarians
- Legal practitioners, including Independent Children’s Lawyers
- Social workers, case workers, and family support workers
- Psychologists, counsellors, and other health practitioners
- Expert witnesses
- Mediators
- Law enforcement officers
- Academics and researchers
- Youth advocates and community service providers
- First Nations professionals and voices
- People with lived experience of family separation
Submission Outline
**Submissions must be received by Friday 12th December 2025**
To express your interest in presenting, please provide:
- A proposed session title;
- A 200 to 300-word abstract outlining your presentation;
- A 100 to 150-word presenter biography; and
- Any relevant audio/visual or logistical requirements for your presentation
- Complimentary 2-day Conference ticket, including catering (dietary requirements can be met)
- Dedicated speaker parking provided
- Speaker name and bio on our website leading to National recognition
- Complimentary attendance to the Conference Sundowner
- Interstate speaker travel costs and accommodation can be negotiated
Speaker Submission
**Submissions close Friday 12th December 2025. No late submissions will be accepted**