You are invited to come to a free community forum “Creating a Safer World for Children” with Professor Freda Briggs AO, Australia’s leading child protection expert on Thursday 6th September at 6:30pm as part of Child Protection Week.
 
Professor Freda Briggs is travelling from the University of South Australia to draw attention to the vulnerability of boys to sexual abuse and why we need to provide better protection. She will raise awareness of the impacts of child abuse and the issues of immediate concern that relate specifically to schools, early childhood centres and parents in the Far North Region.
 

About the Event:
 
Time: 7pm  (doors open from 6.30pm for networking)
Date: Thursday 6 September                                             
Venue: St Joseph’s School Hall 11 Loeven Street, Paramatta Park
Cost:  Free! (By donation - suggested minimum donation of $5 to cover costs)
Protecting Children is Everybody’s Business! Come and Play your Part!
Free tea, coffee and snacks. Certification of attendance provided for PD hours. Free networking opportunities. Book signing with Professor Freda Briggs

About Professor Freda Briggs:

Professor Freda Briggs has been recognised as an outstanding contributor to the welfare of our nation. For her initiatives and research in child protection and her work with disadvantaged children internationally, she was appointed Senior Australian of the Year (2000), received the Order of Australia in 2005 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sheffield in 2009.

In addition, she received the inaugural Humanitarian of the Year Award, the ANZAC award (jointly awarded by the NZ and Australian Governments), the Jean Denton and the Creswick Scholarships.

Rotary  International honoured her for her work for safer student exchanges and her expertise saw her as consultant to the Minister for Education for writing the national Safe Schools Framework; NSW and SA Education Departments for writing child protection curriculum; the World Health Organisation on programs to protect children from violence;  the South African Government on changes to laws relating to children and, for 21 years,  as researcher (with JCU Professor Russell Hawkins) and consultant to New Zealand Police and Education Department for their national school-based child protection curriculum.
 
Freda has published 20 books on child abuse, education and child protection issues and countless articles for professional journals. Her two most recent books are “Smart Parenting for Safer Kids”  (2011) and “Child protection: The essential guide for teachers and professionals whose work involves children” (2012) published by Jo-Jo Publishers, Melbourne, both of which will be available at the meeting.

The latter is the most comprehensive book of its kind, recommended by the former CEO of SA’s child protection services, a supreme court judge and professors of law and social work. The preface was written by Ita Buttrose.
 
In her roles as social worker, police child protection officer (London), educator, author, scholar and ambassador, Freda has passionately worked towards the provision of a safer and more caring world for children. She spent nine years as a consultant to Save the Children and provided workshops for police and teachers in the South Pacific Islands.

She continues to travel to developing countries at her own expense to provide advice on issues relating to the safety and rights of children. She was recently a volunteer in Nepal working with teachers, counsellors and carers caring for orphans with AIDS.
 
Who is this event for?

Everyone and anyone who cares about the safety of children - parents and carers, police officers and lawyers, politicians, psychologists, social and support workers, student counsellors, youth workers, teachers, child care workers, students, child protection workers, counsellors and community workers who would like to know how to keep children safer.
 
If you require any further information about this event please contact realliferesources@bigpond.com or phone 0432 147 691.