The Board includes kinship carers and grandparents who are not raising children 24/7. This ensures that decisions made and priorities set are considered from the point of view of the needs of all children, bearing in mind that kinship carers have views about child welfare far beyond those shaped by their role as carers.
The 24th GPV/KCV Board membership
Two new members have joined the Board (*below). Its members are:
- Helen Brown, urban grandparent member (Chair)
- Carole Cheng, urban grandparent member (Deputy Chair)
- Helen Corcoran, urban grandparent member
- Kerry Doquile, urban grandparent member
- Jennifer Sullivan, urban kinship carer member
- Sandy Harbison, rural grandparent member
- Michelle Max*, urban kinship carer member
- Angela Hogan, rural grandparent member
- Eileen McAdam*, urban kinship care member
- Adine Neill, urban kinship care member
- Bruce Murchie, urban kinship carer
- Jenny Cheshire, urban kinship carer
The terms of service of Board members vary, with some being founding members whilst others joined it recently. The following chart indicates the terms of service of current Board members.
The 24th Board in profile
The Board’s shared expertise in raising and supporting families is considerable and influences decisions made about the work of GPV/KCV. Consider the shared contribution of Board members to family matters, they:
- have been active parents for 530 years. In that time, they have raised 28 children and supported 63 grandchildren as well as 8 great grandchildren and
- in addition, 6 members are raising twelve children in out of home care and have been doing so for a total of 56 years.
The 24th Board’s aspirations for children
Board members shared their aspirations for children, stating that all children in Australia must have access to a high-quality education, grow up with a sense of belonging to family and community, are raised in a safe environment without undue influence of social media, have their health protected, be given opportunities for long term positive pathways in life and to be recognised as individuals whose rights and aspirations need to be fulfilled.