Network News
Sharing information, stories and more...
May 2026
EDITION 26
From the National Office
The National Office
remains calm and grounded despite current global and national uncertainty.
We
recognize the impact this ambiguity has on both families and frontline services
and remain respectful of the significant workload and emotional labour managed
across all sites. HIPPY Australia continues to actively steward the program,
maintaining strong engagement with BSL and government stakeholders to safeguard
continuity.
While some support structures have evolved due to internal resourcing changes, our focus remains on providing steady operational support through refined advice, responses, and tools.
We are progressing critical planning for the future behind the scenes to ensure the network can continue to deliver consistently and with confidence.
Key Acknowledgments:
- Student Success: Congratulations to our HIPPY 2024 cohort on completing their first successful term of school
- Self-Service Support: We draw your attention to the new HIPPY support portal, which is now live and being expanded to better serve your technical and administrative needs
Key Program Dates
Adherence to these dates is essential for program compliance and funding continuity.
For assistance contact ETO HIPPY support by logging a ticket directly via the HIPPY Support Portal immediately.
National Office Updates
We understand that Sites are keen to see the DSS report on the HIPPY Program evaluation, particularly given the time and effort involved in participating.
At this stage, DSS has not yet provided HIPPY Australia with a confirmed release date. Report writing and review processes are still underway, and we are awaiting further advice from the department on when the final report will be released.
We will share another update as soon as we receive any new information or an indicative timeframe.
Following recent advocacy activity and engagement with the Department of Social Services (DSS), the National Office provided guidance regarding the upcoming Federal Budget and your Annual Program Budget submissions.
Key Advocacy & Funding Messages:
- Business as Usual: There is no change to program delivery. Sites should continue with standard operational planning
- Federal Budget (12 May): While we await the announcement, please note that HIPPY may not be specifically named in budget papers. This is common practice and does not indicate a change in government support
Emerging Minds: New Practitioner Resources & Podcasts
The National Office highlights several new resources from Emerging Minds designed to support practitioners in delivering culturally responsive and neurodivergent-affirming care.
"Parenting Our Way": First Nations Resources
Developed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, these new resources from Emerging Minds celebrate cultural identity and the inherent strengths of kinship systems. If you are working with families looking for parenting information that 'feels right' and centers Indigenous ways of being, we encourage you to share these with your community. The focus of the resources is social and emotional wellbeing, connection to culture, and navigating neurodivergence.
Practitioner Podcasts
The Emerging Minds podcasts are a valuable resource for anyone interested in child and adolescent mental health, offering practical guidance, expert insights, and real-life experiences to support families and practitioners in Australia. They provide a blend of research, practice wisdom, and personal stories, making complex mental health topics accessible and actionable.
Drawing on 15 years of experience supporting families, our partners have launched Good Choices—a provider-agnostic campaign designed to help families identify high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). This campaign complements our efforts by empowering parents with independent, expert advice from the Raising Children Network.
- Explore the campaign: [Link to Website]
- Watch the launch video: [Link to Video]
- Follow on Socials: TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram @_FirstFiveYears
Finance Updates
Due to current sublicence and funding agreements, sites are required to submit a six-month budget only (covering July to December 2026) while we await further details regarding supplementation.
Submission Deadline: All sites must submit their Annual Program Budget by 14 May 2026
- Budget Period: 1 July 2026 - 31 December 2026
- Completed budgets must be submitted via ETO Touchpoint
- The latest budget templates can be accessed via the LMS [Link]
- For ETO submission assistance, please refer to Section 11.3 of the ETO Guide
(ETO Guide Tip: Use the Content page to click to the content under Section 11.3, page number glitch is under review)
Additionally, we have developed a dedicated FY 26/27 Budget FAQ to address common queries and has been updated with the latest information from our finance team.
If you anticipate any difficulty meeting the 14 May deadline, please contact your Site Advisor as early as possible.
LMS Updates
We have updated the LMS course and resources overview to clarify mandatory training requirements across various site contexts.
Action Required:
- When submitting LMS feedback, you must include the URL link and relevant screenshots. This allows the team to locate and address content issues efficiently, and streamlines the feedback mechanism
- Submit all feedback via the Feedback Form , and technical queries through the HIPPY Australia Support Portal
Updated Resource: The LMS Course and Resources Overview is now updated with clarified mandatory training requirements for various site contexts.
You will have recently received an email notification about this update and may have also seen it in Canvas (some of you may have received more than one notification if you’re enrolled in multiple courses on the LMS).
We’re sharing it in the Newsletter to ensure everyone is informed.
Important Canvas Update (HIPPY LMS) - no action needed
HIPPY Australia uses Canvas (by Instructure) for training and shared resources. Canvas stores limited information about you. Primarily, your name, and work email address.
What’s happened
Instructure has advised they recently identified and fixed a technical security issue. The issue has been contained, and extra security measures have been put in place.
What this means for you
- There is no evidence of unauthorised access to sensitive information
- No passwords or other personal details were accessed
What you need to do
- No action is required
- Please continue to be alert to unexpected or suspicious emails
If you have any questions, contact HIPPYAustralia@bsl.org.au
HIPPY Training Opportunities
Collective Wisdom for Site Stability
Retaining families in HIPPY is a complex process influenced by local culture, staff dynamics, and evolving community needs. There is no 'one size fits all' strategy; instead, successful retention requires a deep understanding of what is happening on the ground.
This interactive workshop invites Coordinators to step back from operational pressures to explore retention through shared stories and collective meaning-making.
This is a supportive space designed to:
- Uncover the underlying assumptions to identify patterns and constraints that shape family engagement at your specific site
- Exchange insights with other Coordinators working across diverse regional and urban contexts and harness the power of collaborative learning
- Generate alternative ways of working to strengthen family outcomes and site stability through practical innovation
Date: Tuesday 23 June 2026 | Time: 12:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST)
Following the successful completion of our recent sessions, we are pleased to announce that interest in MoneyMinded Coach Training continues to grow across the network.
To accommodate this demand, we have added an additional training cohort, Batch 3, currently scheduled for July or August 2026.
MoneyMinded Coach accreditation equips you with a consistent, strengths-based approach to facilitating financial wellbeing conversations.
As an accredited coach, you gain exclusive access to the MoneyMinded Hub, which includes:
- Comprehensive resource suite with over 150 financial topics, interactive handouts, case studies, and templates
- Access to translated resources in Arabic, Chinese, and Farsi
- Practical tools in the form of targeted videos, prompt cards, and templates to guide participants through banking basics, managing debt, and goal setting
Ongoing Empowerment: ANZ’s MoneyMinded program provides accredited coaches with space to share best practices and receive regular resource updates.
Limited spots remain for Batch 3, secure your spot using the form: Money Minded Coach Training: Registrations
These are indicative placeholders to help you plan your learning opportunities for the rest of the year. Details for each session will be communicated shortly.
- June/July: Pre-Service Coordinator Training
- 21 July - 27 August: Change Makers Program
- September/October: Pre-Service Coordinator Training
- 20 October: Recruitment Workshop
- October: Advocacy through Media
External Training Opportunities
SNAICC is piloting a national training program, Believe Inquire Respond to Disclosures (BIRD), as part of the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030.
This initiative aims to improve early disclosure experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim-survivors of child sexual abuse by bridging a critical gap in formal qualifications and culturally safe primary healthcare responses.
This evidence based, and led, culturally responsive trauma- and healing-informed package is:
- suitable for professionals seeking to improve cultural safety and responsiveness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and Families
- a 5-day decolonised training pilot focusing on the BIRD Practice Framework
- scheduled throughout 2025-26
- 2026 locations & partners: Sisters in Spirit (Canberra), VACCA (Naarm/Melbourne), BRAMS (Rubibi/ Broome), Waiben/Thursday Island, and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (Nipaluna/ Hobart)
Read through the research report and practice framework for more details.
While specific resources are available for review, participants should contact SNAICC directly to confirm current pilot fees, registration eligibility, and upcoming schedules for their region.
Upcoming training dates for Broome 25-29 May, Canberra dates to be confirmed.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) provides a suite of evidence-based webinars focused on child and family wellbeing. These sessions are funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS).
Current On-Demand Series
Experience full webinar replays in a range of topics, including extended Q&A sessions, at your convenience. Each on-demand link is active for a limited three-week window.
Alternatively, you can register for upcoming sessions , or access the full library of recent recordings , and filter by topics such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, childcare and preschool, and mental health.
Developed in collaboration with Emerging Minds, the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (ARACY), and the Queensland Brain Institute, this distilled neuroscience program is perfect for staff looking to apply best-practice evidence to their everyday work with families.
The program consists of five core modules.
Enrol via the link: ECA Learning Hub: Understanding Brain Development
What happens when 60,000 years of cultural wisdom and modern brain science align?
This National Reconciliation Week, join ARACY, Queensland Kids Partnership, and Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation for a landmark webinar on National Sorry Day.
Hear from First Nations leaders, including National Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter and Yiliyapinya CEO Sheryl Batchelor, on how community-led approaches and "Brain Health Coaches" are keeping children connected to culture and out of the justice and child protection systems.
This session is a powerful look at what 'All In' reconciliation looks like in practice.
For registration and details of the hour-long session: All in for Growing Deadly Brains - Reconciliation Australia
Days of Recognition
At HIPPY, we recognise and celebrate a variety of important dates, including some cultural and religious observances that reflect our commitment to inclusivity, family, and cultural diversity.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for posts to like, share, and tag!
We invite all the Sites to share for National Reconciliation Week 2026.
National Families Week , led by Families Australia, highlights the vital role families play in our lives and the broader community. This annual celebration encourages families to connect with friends, extended kin, and the wider community to acknowledge the role of families in society, including how families teach, support and nurture children as they grow.
We recognize that families come in many shapes and sizes. The theme for 2026, Celebrating Every Family, Everywhere, highlights inclusion, connection and support.
Sites are encouraged to share their stories and photos with the National Office for the June newsletter.
(Query type: Other, Subject: Newsletter Content)
The focus of International Day of Families is to promote awareness of social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families worldwide.
This year's theme, Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing, aims to highlight how inequality shapes family life and children’s wellbeing.
It is a timely reminder that strong, connected and well supported families help children flourish.
IDAHOBIT day is to stand against discrimination and support creating safe, welcoming communities for LGBTQIA+ people.
The theme for 2026, Will you go rainbow? is a chance for individuals, workplaces and communities to show visible allyship and raise awareness of the issues LGBTQIA+ people face.
National Sorry Day marks the tabling of the Bringing Them Home report in 1997. The day is a time to reflect and commit to action that supports healing for survivors and future generations.
It recognises the deep hurt caused by the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, the Stolen Generations.
2026, is the 29th anniversary of the Bringing Them Home report.
Since then, many of the report’s recommendations remain unfulfilled.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
This year's theme, All In, is a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.
If your site is hosting a Gathering, exploring language on Country, or creating artwork, please share your stories and photos with us.
