The National Kinship Care Organisation of Australia
Global Kinship Care Week 2025
Global Kinship Care Week 2025 was celebrated in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia.
In Queensland, carers came to Brisbane for PeakCare’s gathering at Parliament House from as far away as Cairns.
Kinship Carers Victoria held a Luncheon at the historical Windsor Hotel in Melbourne with Guest Speakers Hon. Lizzie Blandthorn MP and Fleur Ward, specialist children’s lawyer.
Senator Tammy Tyrrell and Hon. Roger Jaensch, State Minister for Children and Youth, were guests at a morning tea for carers and children in Devonport jointly hosted by Kin Raising Kids Tasmania, Baptcare and Mission Australia.
In South Australia, a presentation to the City of Tea Tree Gully community services forum AGM by Lyn Petrie, kinship carer and local councillor, led to a few tears (including Lyn’s own) and further invitations to present in other forums.
In New South Wales, kinship care support groups treated their carers with a lunch, a self-care morning and other events.
Thanks to an anonymous donation, Kinship Alliance Australia was able to provide small grants to several kinship carer support groups for these activities.
View some of the activities below.
Kinship Alliance Australia
Kinship Alliance Australia is here for ALL kinship carers:
Headed by grandparents, other relatives, & people known to the child through friendship or community connection.
Informal and formal (statutory)
Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous
In all States and Territories.
Vision
A country that provides support to all children in kinship care and their caregivers as needed to ensure they can thrive and achieve their life goals.
Mission
To ensure adequate support for all Australian kinship carers and children in their care, and to raise awareness and advocate for policy changes that recognise and address their needs.
Voices of carers and young people
I never thought it as a form of care. I just thought I was going to stay with Nana or Grandad for this long time and that’s it. It didn’t seem weird or strange to me anyway … I still went to the same school, the same sort of things. Still had that same sense of stability, constancy. It was just a different location that you lived, a different person you lived with. (David, 21)
[What do people need to know about young kinship carers?]
That we exist. And that it’s not just grandparents taking care of children. (Mandy, older sister, 30)
She may not be a blood family but who says blood is needed to make a family? They say friends come and go but family is forever. If you’ve had friends who have stuck by you through the worst then personally in my eyes they are family. (Oscar, 19)
We love caring for all the children and see them develop and gain confidence. It is not an easy path at times but it is not dull! Kinship care seems to be the ‘Cinderella’ of care, so I hope your research project might help these people. (Grandmother survey respondent)
Join Kinship Alliance Australia
Grandparent and other kinship carers, support workers and other individuals are invited to become Supporters of the Alliance. Organisations and Support Groups are invited to join as Affiliates. Supporters and Affiliates receive the quarterly newsletter and may be invited to participate in awareness-raising activities including meetings with the Parliamentary Friends of Grandparent and Kinship Carers.There is no cost. Join us!