Kids First among 2021 Victorian Protecting Children Awards finalists
30/08/2021
The awards recognise the focused work and commitment of the community sector towards improving the lives of children and young people across Victoria.
Kids First is honoured to be among the 80 finalists in this year's Victorian Protecting Children Awards.
The annual awards recognise practitioners, workers, carers and community members from across all areas of the Victorian child and family services system. The winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony on Monday 6 September as part of Child Protection Week.
Kids First CEO, Aileen Ashford is a nominee for this year's Robin Clark Leadership Award. The Award recognises an individual or team who inspires others to act wisely and care deeply about achieving the best outcomes for children, young people and their families. Aileen has been recognised for her ability to forge partnerships that extend the reach of programs and services.
Kids First's Caring Dads program is one of five nominees in the Minister’s Award for Innovation in Protecting Children category. Caring Dads is an Australian first, 17-week early intervention program. It engages fathers who have used violence and helps them develop skills in child-centred fathering to take responsibility for the impacts of their violence upon their children and their children’s mother.
An evidence-based model originating in Canada, Kids First has pioneered Caring Dads’ delivery to an Australian audience. An evaluation released by the University of Melbourne in 2020 demonstrated Caring Dads’ link to an overall reduction in violence, and men’s ability to reflect on abusive and harmful fathering practices after completing the program.
Kids First congratulates all of the nominees in striving for better outcomes for children, young people and families, and for the dedicated, resilient and highly skilled workforce that powers our progress.