World Care Day: A celebration of children living in care

Observed on February 17, World Care Day is a celebration of the global community of children living in care.

This year’s theme, Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover, Embrace our Stories Instead, challenges people to look beyond stereotypes and pre-conceived ideas about young people living in care. Instead, we are encouraged to get to know the real people and their stories, helping to build a greater understanding of why young people are in care.

Read the Term 1 edition of School News HERE

CREATE Foundation is the national consumer body representing the voices of children and young people with an out-of-home care experience (including kinship care, foster care and residential care).

Wholehearted supporters of this year’s them, CREATE continues the #snapthatstigma social media campaign to call out the outdated beliefs that a person’s past care experience determines who they are today.

Instead of making a snap judgement about a child or young person, CREATE shares the message of their strength, resilience, and greater potential than their past care experience. CREATE stands with young people and asks that their collective voices are heard and celebrated to inform decision makers and support positive change. The foundation celebrates all young people’s rights, resilience, stories and achievements. 

CREATE Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Jacqui Reed said all young people’s rights, resilience, stories and achievements should be recognised. “World Care Day shines a light on the amazing young people who have experienced being in the care system and although, at times may appear to be thwarted by the negative impact of the stigma associated with being in care, continue to demonstrate an incredible resilience and courage to make their lives the best they can be,” Ms Reed said.

“Help us create a positive self-image for these incredible young people and celebrate their achievements through World Care Day.”

In 2020-21, 46,212 children and young people were reported as living in out-of-home care across Australia. The estimated global community of young people living in care is 4.4 million.

On World Care Day and beyond, CREATE would like everyone to reflect on the stories, achievements and unique value of each and every child and young person, to listen to their perspective, look beyond the surface, and to see that every care-experienced person holds their own unique valuable story, ambitions, and dreams for the future.