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NOVEMBER 2026
EDITION 31
From the National Office
Key Program Dates
As per the Site Reporting and Funding Obligations, invoices for the December 2026 period are due by 30 NOV.
For support, contact ETO support through the HIPPY Support Portal .
January-June 2026 due by 14 July. For assistance, contact ETO HIPPY support by logging a ticket via the HIPPY Support Portal
For assistance, contact ETO HIPPY support by logging a ticket via the HIPPY Support Portal
Edition 32 of the newsletter will be published by mid-December.
Please log a ticket via the HIPPY Support Portal to contribute content or change your subscription preferences.
End of Age 3 submissions and Graduation journeys will need to be entered into ETO prior to 31 December 2025.
If your site has completed delivery, it’s recommended that you start collecting this information.
The July-December Line Manager Report and Coordinator Report are due on or before 14 January 2026.
Early submission before the cut-off date is welcome and can be started immediately.
For assistance, contact ETO HIPPY support by logging a ticket via the HIPPY Support Portal
Revised documents will be sent to HIPPY Providers in November and will be due by 31 January 2027.
If you have any questions, please contact your Site Advisor.
National Office Updates
Over the past weeks, we had the wonderful privilege of celebrating the graduation of 62 HIPPY Tutors and Coordinators who completed the 2026 Change Makers program.
Across the graduation events, participants shared powerful reflections on the confidence, skills and connections they had built throughout the program. Many spoke about finding their voice, building the courage to advocate for themselves and others, and applying new communication, storytelling and leadership skills in their work, in their families, and in their communities.
We were delighted to be joined by representatives from the Department of Social Services (DSS), alongside members of the HIPPY Australia National Office team, to recognise the graduates’ achievements and celebrate their commitment to creating positive change.
A special highlight was a video message from Assistant Minister Ged Kearney MP, who described participants as “a new generation of community leaders” and encouraged them to “be proud of what you’ve achieved, be confident in the skills you’ve gained, and never underestimate the difference you can make.”
One of the strongest themes emerging from both the program feedback and the graduation celebrations was the value of connection. Participants consistently highlighted the opportunity to learn alongside colleagues from across the HIPPY network: to share experiences, build supportive relationships, and know that others understand their role. As one Coordinator put it: “We can face many of the same challenges but have the collective skills to support each other.”
The graduations were a true showcase of the courage, authenticity and leadership within our HIPPY community. Graduates demonstrated not only what they had learned, but how they are already living that learning, strengthening outcomes for children, families and communities every single day.
Congratulations to all 62 graduates!
The 2026 Sambell Oration was delivered by The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, former Justice of the High Court of Australia, on Thursday 22 October.
In his powerful and thought-provoking Oration, titled ‘Poverty, Human Rights and Democracy: Three values at risk', Justice Kirby explored the deep connections between poverty, human rights and the health of our democracy. He challenged us to see poverty, not as inevitable, but as an injustice that can and should be addressed. He called for Australia to adopt official poverty measures that capture its multiple dimensions.
When institutions become more responsive to the powerful than to the vulnerable, public policies inevitably reflect that imbalance. The result is a vicious cycle. Poverty weakens democracy. Weakened democracy allows poverty to persist and even to get worse
Our wonderful emcees, Chloe Sumner, Youth Advisor with the National Youth Employment Body, and Angel Niyonkuru, Administration Assistant Trainee at the Yarra Thrive Hub, brought warmth, insight and lived experience to the evening, reminding us what is possible when people have the opportunities and conditions they need to thrive. Wurundjeri man Daniel Ross offered a compelling Welcome to Country, with BSL Board Chair Jane Hodder introducing Justice Kirby and BSL Executive Director Travers McLeod reflecting afterwards.
Thank you once again to everyone involved in delivering the 2026 Sambell Oration. It was a fantastic night.
Watch the full 2026 Sambell Oration, or read the full transcript .
Finance Updates
HIPPY Australia is currently reviewing the Annual Financial Reports submitted for FY25/26.
We are working to determine the threshold at which sites that have been permitted to retain all or part of their surplus will not be required to submit a Surplus Proposal.
We will be in contact with sites that have reported a surplus soon, with details about the decision and any next steps required.
In May 2026, sites were required to submit a budget for the July–December 2026 period due to funding uncertainty for 2027. Now that funding for the 2027 calendar year has been confirmed, sites must submit a second six-month budget covering January–June 2027.
This budget is due 14 December 2026.
We recognise that this has not been an ideal situation for many sites, and we look forward to returning to 12-month reporting periods for FY27/28.
If Sublicence and Funding Agreements have not been sent in time for your site to prepare your budget, we will issue a network communication providing indicative funding amounts for this period.
Quality Updates
Sites will receive a Purchase Order for their December payment by mid-November. Please use the Purchase Order to generate an invoice and submit it in line with the instructions on the Purchase Order.
Invoices must be submitted by 30 November to ensure that payments are not delayed.
Towards the end of each year, we send an Annual Statement of Safeguarding Compliance to HIPPY Providers asking them to attest that they are upholding their safeguarding obligations under the HIPPY Sublicence and Funding Agreement. This document is sent to the HIPPY Provider’s Executive Officer or Authorised Representative for signing.
From 2026, we are renaming this document the Annual Statement of Compliance, as it now reflects a broader range of obligations. In addition to safeguarding, the updated document will ask for certification of obligations related to:
- Insurance (public liability, professional indemnity and Work Cover)
- Data and reporting requirements
- Policies and procedures (Workplace Health and Safety, feedback and complaints, privacy, cyber security and safe home visiting)
We anticipate that the revised documents will be sent to HIPPY Providers in November and will be due by 31 January 2027.
If you have any questions, please contact your Site Advisor.
Submit any queries through the HIPPY Australia Support Portal
ETO Updates
We are aware that Network sites are keen for the 2027 Enrolment Form to be released.
The form will be available once negotiations with DSS are finalised and the new contract has been signed. Coordinators will be notified via Canvas LMS once it is live on the HIPPY Online Library. In the meantime, we encourage you to continue collecting expressions of interest from Families.
The step-by-step Enrolment Form Guide is available on the LMS.
An updated Family Support Form that allows sites to record the key details of Individual Delivery Plans will be released in 2027.
This data will support HIPPY Australia in better understanding the degree to which sites are using this important support tool, and the circumstances under which plans are being developed.
Additional details will be communicated closer to the release.
Previously, HIPPY Australia has closed ETO for a Shutdown Week in January.
We are trialling a different approach in 2027: we will only remove access to specific touchpoints for the duration of time required to implement any updates.
This means that sites will be able to submit data and run reports as usual throughout the transition period.
There will be clear communication with sufficient notice about touchpoints that will be temporarily unavailable to ensure minimal disruption.
For all day-to-day solutions, compliance steps, or tech support, visit the HIPPY Support Portal
HIPPY Training Opportunities
HIPPY Jobify series continues through NOV 2026
The first session of the interactive three-part Learning Opportunities for Tutors workshop series ran on 05 NOV, 2026.
Designed to offer practical tools and real-world strategies to help navigate the job search process and employment, had an amazing turnout. The sessions, facilitated by BSL THRIVE Hub coaches, continue through Thursdays in NOV.
Cover letters that stand out:
Date: Thursday 12 November | Time: 12.30-2.30 pm AEDT (Melbourne, Sydney)
Interview skills and confidence building:
Date: Thursday 19 November | Time: 12.30-2.30 pm AEDT (Melbourne, Sydney)
Pending- finish on LMS and link here
External Training Opportunities
Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) & Emerging Minds | 11 November, 1:00-2:00 PM (AEDT) | Online | Free
For practitioners supporting children and families, recovery from a disaster does not end when the immediate threat has passed. The impacts of disasters can accumulate over time, particularly when families face recurring events alongside ongoing pressures such as housing insecurity, financial hardship, disrupted learning and social isolation.
This webinar examines the ways cumulative stress can shape children's development, parents' capacity to cope and family wellbeing. Drawing on disaster recovery evidence, trauma-informed practice and lived experience, it provides practical strategies to help practitioners support families before, during and long after a disaster event.
Register directly via this link
The Centre: Early Start Bright Future | 12 November, 1:00-2:00 PM (AEDT) | Online | Free
Practitioner wellbeing and child wellbeing are more closely connected than is often acknowledged. When the people supporting families are themselves depleted, that affects the quality and consistency of care they can offer.
This webinar with Megan Corcoran, author of Beyond Survival Mode, introduces the NEST Framework and explores how trauma-informed practice applies not just to the families we serve, but to the people working alongside them. Practical strategies are shared for supporting wellbeing across everyday practice, teams and organisations.
Register directly via the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare website .
Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN) & Emerging Minds | 17 November, 7:00-8:15pm (AEDT) | Online | Free
The transition to school is one of the most significant shifts in a young child’s life. For children experiencing developmental vulnerability, it can be a period of both heightened risk and opportunity in equal measure.
This webinar brings together a panel of practitioners to discuss prevention and early intervention approaches, the role of cross-sector collaboration, and how to build a coordinated team around the child during this critical transition. Particularly relevant for HIPPY sites working with families approaching the move to Prep or Kindergarten.
Linked resources: Scoping child mental health workforce project findings summary
Register directly via the MHPN website .
AIFS | 19 November, 12:00-1:00pm (AEDT) | Online | Free
There is no single pathway into work. Opportunities and outcomes are shaped by a person’s circumstances, life stage and experience, and they look very different across population groups.
This webinar draws on three major Australian longitudinal studies to examine how young people navigate work and study in early adulthood, how disability shapes men’s employment participation over time, and what enables or creates barriers for humanitarian migrants entering the workforce.
Presenters discuss the implications for policy, programs and practice.
Register directly via this link .
Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) & Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare | 19 November, 11:00-11:45am (AEDT) | Online | Free
VACCA is launching a dedicated Aboriginal Research and Evidence Hub. An online space that brings together research, evaluation findings and resources grounded in Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing.
The launch webinar features an opening address by Aunty Muriel Bamblett and a panel discussion on the importance of Aboriginal-led research and evaluation in shaping policy and practice.
Register your interest directly via the VACCA website .
AIFS, National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) & Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) | On demand: 3-10 December | Online | Free
Children and young people with disability experience family and domestic violence at higher rates than their peers, yet their experiences are frequently absent from research, policy and practice responses.
This webinar, re-broadcast to mark International Day of People with Disability (3 December), draws on the Safety Beyond Barriers project, developed with co-design teams bringing lived experience of disability from First Nations, LGBTIQA+, multicultural and regional backgrounds.
It offers evidence-based guidance on how practitioners can better recognise and support children and young people experiencing family violence, with a focus on accessibility, trauma-informed care and relational safety.
Register to access the recording for a week via the Australian Institute of Family Studies website . Webinar slides are accessible here .
Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) & Parenting Research Centre | On-demand webinar recording | Online | Free
In 2026, 53 young people from five priority communities took part in online roundtables and shared their perspectives on wellbeing, services and the systems shaping their lives. Their responses were brought together with findings from the Parenting Research Centre’s Parenting Today 2025 survey of more than 10,000 parents and carers.
The result is a joint discussion paper, When Kids Answer Back: Parenting Today Through Young Eyes, which surfaces both shared concerns and some striking differences in what parents and young people say matters most, including technology.
View the recording via ARACY's YouTube channel link .
ARACY | Self-paced | Online | For fee | 1.5-2 hours
In the June Edition of their Newsletter, the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) mentioned their evidence-based wellbeing framework, The Nest, and shared their implementation tools: NEST Well-being Framework
The Nest: Foundations is a new self-paced online course designed as the entry point to both The Nest and the Common Approach.
The course introduces the framework for understanding what children and young people need to thrive and shows how a common approach to wellbeing conversations brings that framework to life in everyday practice.
Find out more at the ARACY website .
Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) | Free Resource | Online
Involvement of children and young people in its truest form means moving beyond consultation and creating conditions where children can meaningfully shape the things that affect their lives.
The Voice of the Child Toolkit, developed with children, young people and Melbourne Children’s staff and grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, offers a practical framework for practitioners at any level.
A companion Educator Handbook for ages 3-5 is currently in draft and available for a read before publication. Download the toolkit and handbook via the CCCH website .
International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) | Free download | Released October 2026
Developed ahead of International Day of People with Disability (3 December), this yarning guide supports First Nations communities and practitioners to open conversations about disability in a culturally safe way. The guide features real stories of First Nations people with disability and uses yarning questions to share information, challenge stereotypes and recognise the diversity of experience within First Nations communities.
A Community Yarning Session Template is also available as an editable presentation for local groups, schools and workplaces.
Co-designed with First Nations community
members and featuring original artwork by Yaegl and Bundjalung artist Aneika
Kapeen, it is available in 11 languages, Easy Read and Auslan.
UNICEF Australia & ARACY | Free Resource | Online
Two resources inspired by the State of Australia’s Children report put children’s voices at the centre.
Us!, a storybook by Jackie French and illustrated by Elin Matilda Andersson, reflects what children across Australia say they need to feel safe, loved and healthy. A free read-along video with The Wiggles and a digital version of the book are both available.
Growing Up in Australia: Our Story, Our Voice is a youth reference book that pairs national data with the voices of children across Australia, with activities and discussion prompts designed to support social and emotional learning.
Access resources via the UNICEF Australia website.
Network Success and Innovation
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!
World Kindness Day is a global reminder that small acts of connection and care have lasting ripple effects. This international observance encourages both grand gestures and small acts of kindness to foster a more empathetic world.
The Mental Health Foundation defines kindness as doing something towards yourself and others, motivated by a genuine desire to make a positive difference. A conversation about kindness, a moment to acknowledge a family’s effort, or simply naming out loud what kindness looks like in your community, all count.
In 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted on this date. It is a landmark commitment to the rights of every child to learn, grow, be heard and be safe.
This World Children's Day, we're asking children to tell world leaders what kind of future they want, the future that is their right. My day. My rights. My future.
This day marks the start of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign to raise awareness and mobilise action to end violence against women and girls. The 16 Days of Activism is an international campaign that runs from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) through to Human Rights Day (10 December).
It's an important opportunity to stand in solidarity with survivors and advocate for safe, respectful communities for all.
When connecting families to support services, point families toward local resources. National resources include:
- 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
- Safe Steps (Victoria): 1800 015 188
This United Nations observance promotes the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities in all areas of society.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities recognises the importance of inclusion, accessibility and full participation for people of all abilities.
It's a day to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities and raise awareness about inclusion, accessibility, and removing barriers in our communities and workplaces.
Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and closes the 16 Days of Activism. HIPPY works toward the right to education and participation every day.
As we move to the end of 2026, it's time for final Gatherings, graduation celebrations and family events. This is a beautiful time to reflect on the year that was, the families who joined, the milestones reached, and the stories worth carrying forward into 2027.
We would love to hear about the end-of-year event, along with a photo or two! Please share your Site stories, highlights, Gatherings, and photos with us.
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