International Social Service Australia

ISS Australia joined in the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the International Social Service General Secretariat this week at Parliament House, Sydney, NSW.

Guest speakers included Minister the Hon Jodie Harrison, Departmental Secretary Michael Tidball, Uncle Michael West from the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council, and Emily Hakaiti, a highly respected advocate for children and young people in the out of home care system.

Many generations of ISS staff, board members and stakeholders joined us for this important celebration. 100 years of supporting children and families across borders and helping people belong and know who they are. Happy Birthday ISS!

Pictured below are staff, board members and stakeholders of ISS Australia!

ISS Australia’s Deputy CEO, Damon Martin, recently presented at the National Kinship, Permanent and Foster Care Conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

Damon presented on ‘How International Kinship Care creates Equity in Permanency’. In countries around the world there are children and young people in care who have extended family members overseas that may be able to care for them. In Australia alone, there are over 46,000 children in care, the majority of whom are in placements with carers that they have no biological connection with.

ISS has developed a set of Equity in Permanency principles for child protection practitioners and decision-makers to prioritise the exploration of family placements, without discrimination of any kind. These principles promote access and connection with the child’s extended family (both locally and overseas) to provide the best opportunity for them to be raised with a strong sense of identity, belonging, roots and culture.