Family Advocacy

The Organisation

Family Advocacy is an independent, community based social advocacy organisation which works across New South Wales, Australia.

We work with families in which there is a child or an adult who has a developmental disability.

Our mission is to attain positive social roles for people who have a developmental disability. We achieve this through strengthening the knowledge, role and influence of families in the community.

Our work is directed towards enabling and supporting families to speak up for opportunities for people with a disability to enjoy the same environment, lifestyle and living conditions that are available to the majority of Australians. This means we support the philosophy and practice of inclusion.

Family Advocacy has members and allies in all parts of NSW.

Our Work

Advocacy and Leadership Development

Enabling families in NSW to have opportunities to develop and enhance their advocacy skills.
Working with families to help increase their understanding of how to bring about positive change in the lives of children and adults with developmental disability.
Providing avenues for the development of advocacy related leadership among families.

Systems Advocacy

The systems advocacy work of Family Advocacy aims to enable:

Children and young people with disability to grow up in families that are properly supported.
Children and young people to be welcomed and educated in the regular class of the local neighbourhood school with support.
School leavers, young people and adults with high support needs to have personalised, effective and ongoing adult education opportunities.
Families to have a stronger family voice at the systemic level.
People with developmental disability to have their rights and interests promoted and protected by independant advocacy in NSW.
Adults with develipmental disability living in institutions to be provided with support to live indiviudualised lives in the community.
State and Commonwealth Governments, politicians and bureaucats to be committed to supporting inclusive lives for people with disability as a priority.

Information and Resources

Providing information to families, professionals and students to support inclusion through a unique lending library of journal articles, videos and books known as The Inclusion Collection.
Linking families, professionals and students to suitable resources and services which enhance the lives of people with disabilities.
Facilitating general information sessions for families and the wider community on request.
Producing "Families for Change" the official Journal of Family Advocacy

The People

Most of the Management Committee and Staff members at Family Advocacy are parents or relatives of a child or adult with a developmental disability or have a disability themselves. They deal with the day-to-day issues which all such families face. Other people involved are people who have a disability themselves or allies to the empowerment of families.

Funding

Family Advocacy receives annual grants from the Australian Department of Family and Community Services. We also receive grants from the State Government.

Click here if you want to learn more about us, find out how you might contribute to our efforts, or how we can help you.

About Family Advocacy