The OPEN Symposium 2025, an initiative of the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, will bring together practitioners, researchers, policy makers, funders, and people with lived experience to explore how the child and family services (CFS) sector is leading collaborative responses to complex needs.

This year’s theme Collaborative practice: Working in partnership with children and families celebrates the sector’s role as connector, coordinator, and catalyst for partnerships that put children and families first.

Across two days, you’ll hear about:

Place-based initiatives that bring services and communities together
Cross-sector, co-located, and cross-disciplinary teams
Collaborative approaches to challenges like housing, family violence, youth justice, and school disengagement
Innovative service design, governance, and practice
Partnerships between sector, government, and philanthropy
Stories of leadership, innovation, and lived experience

Why Attend?

Learn from leaders in the child and family services sector
Explore practical models and tools for collaboration
Gain insights from research and lived experience
Connect with peers locally, nationally, and internationally
Be inspired by stories of change that are making a difference

Program details now live! Head over to 2025.OPENSymposium.com.au for more details!