

Actor Jules Allen explores the often complicated relationship between mother/daughter in her second play Betty, which is described as "largely autobiographical, unapologetic, and wonderfully amusing."
We sat down with Jules to discuss the inspiration behind her latest work and what we can look forward to in the future.
Tell us the…

It never ceases to amaze me how much I still have to learn when it comes to raising young people. I can repeat a process time-and-time again and then suddenly have an epiphany about what really matters in a situation, or how it can be done better.
When my youngest son started his HSC exams I…

Tara Winkler, interviewed on Chanel Nine's Sixty Minutes set up an orphanage in Cambodia ten years ago. She did this with the best of intention, but over time, learnt that many of the children she was caring for actually had families. Those families believed that their children had a better chance of breaking the poverty…

It was revealed this week that the Government is planning to spend a whopping $40 million on a new high security prison in Goulburn to house suspected terrorists.
There is already one such prison but since the number of suspects has doubled in the past 12 months from 15 to 30 there are fears we…

This week marks the launch of an inspiring new song and music video release, Illuminate, created to shine a light on the issues facing disadvantaged girls in our own backyard, and in support of charity, SISTER2sister.
A collaboration of passion by Grammy shortlisted music duo, Spare Pages, the song calls out to Australians to look…

Having worked in the media for some time I am well aware of the saying that ‘any media is good media’.
This applies to everything except foster care.
In my experience any press around foster care has people running for the hills.
There will be a nation outraged in response to the Four Corners expose on…

It was a beautiful day last Tuesday and the surf was pumping. As I hastily wrestled my wetsuit on over my bikini in the carpark I was faced with an all too familiar, yet disturbing encounter.
Some 10 feet away, a middle-aged man began his banter to a group of young guys getting changed. Increasing…

The arrest of Tiahleigh’s foster father for the murder of the 12-year-old has left a nation in horror.
As someone who has worked in child protection and fostered over 30 children I am, unfortunately, not remotely shocked by this. What surprises me is that it doesn’t happen more often!
For years I have counselled children in my…

We so often hear about the negative experiences that people have with Foster care.
Not saying that there aren’t difficulties incurred when you take on the raising of someone else’s child but what of the positive, heart -warming experiences many of us have had.
I started Fostering as a single Mum when I was just 23 years…

Unfortunately, there was nothing that shocked me about the revelations in The Age regarding the abuse of a child in the care of the state.
Admittedly, the accusation that the abuser in this scenario is an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) does make it somewhat more shocking.
Having worked in child protection…