Berry Street Web Docs Berry Street Strategic Directions 2027 | Page 2

Rising to the challenge Since 1877, Berry Street has focussed on the hard day to day work of protecting children and strengthening families and helping children recover from abuse and neglect, rebuilding relationships and providing hope. Growing up in poverty has always made the difficult task of parenting even more so. Not having a stable home, living with violence, or households where no one works, are compounded when parents have a mental illness or substance addiction and can’t meet their children’s needs. And there are new challenges to a good childhood – obesity, the sexualisation of children, the impact of technology etc. Although intuition tells us how important a child’s early experiences are, the evidence is now overwhelming. A good childhood really is the foundation for a healthy adult life and cohesive society. Family violence, child abuse and child neglect are not issues people readily talk about. They are difficult and confronting and there are no easy answers. Past injustices, for which we have made Formal Apologies – children being abused and forgotten in institutions; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being taken away from family and culture; and mothers being forced to give up their baby for adoption - while the drivers for each were unique, all took place under the name of creating better lives for children. Today we know the damage these policies and decisions caused. Listening to the voices of children, young people and families is critical to ensure such mistakes are never repeated. Planning our way forward Below is the Governance Framework which guides and connects our work. Our Vision