29 June 2005

Child Abuse and Neglect Conference first ever for New Zealand

A major Australasian conference on child abuse and neglect will provide an opportunity for New Zealand’s young people to have their say when it is held in Wellington next year.

Workshop sessions, presentations and speeches by young people will be on the agenda for the Tenth Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (ACCAN), along with social events.

The conference theme: Kia Puawai Nga Tamariki Blossoming of Our Children – Resilience, Rights, Responsibilities aims to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and consider how best to prevent it. Keynote speakers from Canada, India, Ireland, Melbourne, the Pacific and New Zealand will address the conference on a range of topics including child abuse in the context of family violence and children’s rights.

Children’s Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro is delighted the conference will be held in Wellington.

“As well as hearing from experts in other parts of the world, the conference gives us a chance to celebrate the expertise we are developing locally. Our child abuse legislation is still seen by international experts as leading the field.” she said.

ACCAN will offer excellent opportunities for promoting new working relationships, exchanging leading edge information on research and interventions, and reviewing practices issues and programmes for the diverse professional and volunteer communities who will attend.

It will be the first time ACCAN has been held in New Zealand and there will be a strong Maori and Pacific influence.

The conference will provide a forum for practitioners, policy makers, researchers, community groups and young people to exchange information and share knowledge. This information exchange has the potential to influence current practice and policy making, thereby improving outcomes for children and young people who suffer, or are at risk from, abuse and neglect.

ACCAN will take place over three days, from 14-16 February 2006. The event will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Social Development, Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Department of Child Youth and Family Services.

Abstracts are being invited by the conference organisers for inclusion in the concurrent sessions. Dr Kiro has urged New Zealand experts on child abuse to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to contribute to the conference.

The closing date for receipt of abstracts is 12 July 2005. Further information on the conference and submission of abstracts is available at www.nzfvc.org.nz/accan.

ENDS

© Scoop Media