A central theme that echoed throughout the conference was the power and necessity of elevating lived experience in shaping policy and practice.
The Building Caring Communities International Conference, hosted by Life Without Barriers alongside Allambi Care, Uniting Care, and the Residential Child Care Project, concluded last week in Meanjin (Brisbane) with a resounding call for compassion, collaboration, and systemic change in the child, youth, and family sectors.
Held from 10–12 June at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, the three-day global gathering brought together participants from across Australia and 12 countries—including Canada, the United States, Spain, and Taiwan. Attendees included practitioners, researchers, policy leaders, and, crucially, people with lived experience.
Image: Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dance Company dancers are one stage performing.
From the very first moments, anchored by a powerful Welcome to Country and dance performance by the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dance Company, followed by a keynote from Aunty Brenda Matthews, the tone was set for an event focused not just on knowledge sharing, but deep listening and relational connection.
Aunty Brenda Matthews shared her own story of being part of the stolen generation, of being placed into the foster care system, and of loving both her 'black' and 'white' family.
"I think a lot of us carry the trauma hurt and pain from our own stories and our own lived experiences and a lot of the time we tend to share that story," she said.
"I think we listen more to the traumatic story than we do the healing story or the love story. I think when we can start to find individual healing, for a collective healing, that's always a good space to start."
She went on to say that a "caring community looks like both my white and black families, together. Sharing love between two cultures. That’s a powerful story to tell."
Image: Aunty Brenda Matthews on stage speaking into a microphone. She is wearing a blue dress and dark scarf.
Voices That Need to Be Heard
A central theme that echoed throughout the conference was the power and necessity of elevating lived experience in shaping policy and practice. Stories shared by parents who have experienced child removal and reunification were eye-opening and deeply moving.
Carly Jacobitz, Deputy Chief Executive for Child Youth & Family at Life Without Barriers, shared, "The conference reinforced the necessity of being led by lived experience, the criticality of relationships, and the ever-present need for evolving and caring communities."
Ordinary Moments, Extraordinary Care
Among the most impactful sessions was the keynote by Dr Junlei Li from Harvard University, whose reminder that 'ordinary interactions = extraordinary care' left a lasting impression. His message, focused on the power of simple, human moments in the lives of children, resonated widely.
"I’m heading home with a full heart and a mind full of questions, in the best possible way," one attendee shared.
"Care isn’t just something we provide, it’s how we show up, how we listen, and how we create systems that are safe, inclusive, and shaped by lived experience."
Workshops, panels, and cross-agency discussions tackled a range of pressing issues: from translating research into culturally relevant practice, to implementing trauma-informed care, to building system-wide accountability in support of family preservation.
Image: Hosts and organisers of the conference rather together in a large room and smile at the camera.
Global Insights, Shared Purpose
Life Without Barriers’ NSW Practice Manager, Rebecca Sendt, highlighted the power of international collaboration.
"It has been heartening to hear from practitioners around the world as we all strive to implement the universal principles of CARE: family involved, competence centred, developmentally focused, trauma informed, ecologically oriented, and relationship based."
These principles were evident in the robust discussions and collaborative spirit that defined the event. The conference didn't just convene thought leaders, it created space for mutual learning and collective ambition.
"I was reminded that through the ordinary we can achieve the extraordinary," Anthony Raitman, Executive Director, Strategy and Risk, Child, Youth and Family at Life Without Barriers shared.
Real Lives, Real Voices: The Youth Advisory Panel
A powerful highlight of the conference was the 'Cross Agency Youth Advisory Panel | Real Lives, Real Voices — Through Our Eyes, Not Our File.' This session brought together young people with lived experience in out-of-home care to share their insights on what truly constitutes caring support.
The panel was made up of Olivia, Outreach Worker and Tim, Support Worker with Allambi Care, Tara, Lived Experience Youth Participation Advocate and Lara, Person with lived experience with Life Without Barriers and Jack, Person with lived experience, Safe Places for Children.
This panel wasn’t about case studies. It was about being heard. With courage, honesty and clarity, each speaker described what it was truly like to grow up in the care system. They shared the painful moments, the people who made a difference and the urgent changes needed in our systems.
Image: Youth Advisory Panel from the left; Olivia, Tim, Jack, Hannah and Lara are sitting on the stage speaking.
"I want to share my story in a way that hopefully creates positive change. I'm also hoping to advocate for more young people like us to be able to do this kind of thing, because I think the more young people we hear from, the better," Tara said. She also shared the importance of individualised care.
"People made an effort to communicate with me in the way that I needed to be communicated with, that's how I knew that they really cared for me."
"I'm here because I'm extremely passionate about advocacy," Lara said.
"I have a very strong desire to see change so that systems improve for the young people who are going through care today. I'm always going to jump at any opportunity to teach people the ways we can improve."
Lara also shared her concerns with her file.
"I really felt like what was written in my file was so set in stone and nothing I said about my experiences through that was going to change whoever had read that and their perspective on what was happening directly to me."
Hannah spoke about the desire to ensure other children have positive experiences, "I always saw the other kids as like my little siblings and I want to make sure that they have the best experience possible."
Hannah also shared how her residential care team became her family, and as a teenager, she finally felt like she could be a kid.
"Just before I aged out of care, I was in a residential house. My team at my house was so supportive towards me, so much so that we became family. I had mom and dad, I had grandma, I had aunties and uncles, and we would play around."
"They made me feel like I was a normal kid and like I could be a kid." Hannah said.
Jack described the lasting impact of consistent, compassionate care.
"I chose to speak because I like sharing my story so a lot of other kids don't have to go through what I went through, and hopefully educate people on different ways to help," Jack said. He also shared what made a big difference youth workers can make.
"After we'd had a bad day where I had an incident, the Youth Worker would show up the next day with a smile on their face. They wouldn't hold anything against me." Jack said.
"They would see through my trauma, they would see through my hurt, and I think that was a big thing..."
"Just showing up with a smile on your face every day and not holding stuff against me."
Tim reflected on the power of storytelling as healing and collective growth before performing a song he wrote.
"I always suppressed what I went through and who I was, and just to be up here is actually quite freeing," Tim said.
"I learn from myself when I speak, but hopefully everyone out there can learn a little bit more as well, and we can grow as a community."
Image: Youth Advisory Panel from the left; Olivia, Tim, Jack, Hannah, Lara and Tara are sitting on the stage speaking.
"I'm here to represent the young people in our care systems, both past and present, the ones who unfortunately have not made it to the other side, and to hopefully make change within our communities," Olivia said. She went on to say a since of belonging helped her in out of home care.
"Having that recognition and having that support of that community around me made me feel like I belonged and now that's why I call my family."
The panel with these young advocates reinforced our commitment to prioritising lived experience, fostering relational connections, and driving meaningful change in child and family services.
You can watch highlights and interviews by the Youth Advisory Panel from the conference below.
