ACCS 40th Anniversary
ACCS held a nationwide celebration on 18 May 2022 to mark the 40th anniversary of our advocacy for community children’s services. Past and present members and supporters gathered in person in Sydney and Adelaide and connected to online gatherings with people in Perth and Melbourne.
A slide presentation reminded us of the first national conference in 1983, the many federal election campaigns, national conferences and research publications.
A panel of speakers filled in the detail with their recollections from each decade. Professor Deborah Brennan spoke about the formation in 1982 by a group of young women, many still students (and Deb was the inaugural National Convenor of the fledgling national advocacy body). Celia Haddock spoke about the challenges and successes in the 1990s including negotiating relationships with other national peak bodies at the National Children’s Services Forum. Barbara Romeril spoke about rising to the challenge of corporate child care giant, ABC Learning in 2000s and Dr Anne Kennedy spoke about the ground breaking Trends in Community Children’s Services Survey research conducted throughout the 2010s.
The National Convenor Prue Warrilow completed the program with her recollections of facing unfriendly Senate Committees and the many other courageous acts of advocacy. She acknowledged the many people who have contributed to the success of ACCS over the last 40 years.
Prue welcomed the incoming federal ALP Government. Sadly she also announced the winding up of the national operations of ACCS and thanked the SA Branch for taking up the role of supporting communication and collaboration between state branches of ACCS to advocate into the future.
ACCS is the peak body representing Australia’s not-for-profit community owned children’s services and those who support the right of children to access these services. ACCS builds on the strong history of the National Association of Community Based Children’s Services (NACBCS) Est 1982.