Strategic Roadmap Centred on the Voices of Children and Young People

Key Assets Australia, a non-governmental agency providing children, family, and community services, has unveiled its Strategic Roadmap for the next five years, developed from the perspectives of children and young people.

Our KAA Chair Craig Lawn & CEO Dr Dianne Jackson shared how “we are putting the voices of children and young people at the heart of our work” at a recent Impact Report launch event in Hobart, where the KAA Strategic Roadmap was unveiled.

The refreshed Strategic Plan for 2025 to 2030 introduces a fourth pillar, marking a significant shift from previous versions by prioritising the voices and experiences of children, young people, and carers in everything KAA does. The additional pillar states that “lived experience is at the centre of our approach,” ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of children and young people are integral to KAA’s strategy, and that we remain accountable to them.

In conjunction with the Strategic Plan, KAA has created a companion piece—the Strategic Roadmap. This roadmap is informed by extensive input from children and young people, gathered through thousands of interactions since 2023.

“To give real meaning and clarity to our work, we have applied the insights we've received from children and young people to shape this Strategic Roadmap,” said Dr. Dianne Jackson, CEO of Key Assets Australia (KAA).

In 2024, these interactions have included:

• Supporting 1,650 children through foster and kinship care
• Supporting 488 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• Assisting 504 children in transitioning out of care
• Providing services to 261 families with disabilities

Collecting over 5,000 data points from young people through our ‘Voice of the Child’ initiative, gathering their views on what matters most to them and what changes they want to see

Launching KAA’s first national Young Person Working Group (YPWG), which provided invaluable insights

“It is only by looking at our work through a young person’s perspective that we can truly chart a path forward that serves their best interests. That is, and must always be, our primary focus—delivering meaningful outcomes that improve the quality of life for the young people we care for,” Dr. Jackson explained.

The Strategic Roadmap is also guided by the Voice of the Child initiative, which ensures that young people’s voices are embedded in KAA’s work.

Key next steps include:

• Reflecting on the feedback shared by young people
• Embedding young people’s vision at the core of our actions
• Continuing the conversation with young people to ensure ongoing engagement