• Our Research and Advocacy
  • Whats the Plan 2012
    • What's the Plan NSW
    • Whats the Plan ACT
    • Whats the Plan QLD
    • Whats the Plan NT
    • Whats the Plan SA
    • Whats the Plan TAS
    • Whats the Plan VIC
    • Whats the Plan WA
  • Whats the Plan?
    • What's the Plan Resources for Your State
  • What's the Answer?
  • CREATE Learn or Earn Discussion Paper
  • National Youth Advisory Council
    • 2011 NYAC Summit
    • 2010 NYAC Summit
    • 2009 NYAC Summit
  • CREATE Mates
  • CREATE Champions

NYAC stands for the National Youth Advisory Council.

The overall purpose of the National Youth Advisory Council is to provide a national forum for young people with a care experience to have a voice about issues in the care system, in order to improve the system and the lives or children and young people with a care experience. This is achieved by:

• enabling young people to identify issues that can inform CREATE’s advocacy and strategic direction
• enabling young people to provide information to government and non-government sectors regarding legislation, policy and practice.

There are three NYAC Delegates representing each state and territory. The Delegates from around Australia meet together at least four times a year on the phone and then once a year they get together for a group meeting which we call a Summit and are usually held in Sydney as it is the most central place.

At the Summit young people talk about the things that are good, and not so good, about being in care in their State. They decide what the important issues around Australia are, and then they work on how the problems could be fixed.

The Summit finishes in a conference dinner with key decision makers including Federal and State Ministers, child protection agencies, statutory authorities, and CREATE’s corporate partners and Board of Directors. 

So what happens to all the delegates’ hard work?
 
Every year the NYAC has produced an action plan that outlines all of their goals for the year.  Click here to see the 2011 NYAC Report and Action Plan.

The NYAC Delegates do a bunch of different things to try and make a difference to the child protection system. They:

• meet with key stakeholders like Ministers, Commissioners and Directors to share ideas for action
• present at forums and meetings
• undertake projects to resource and empower other children and young people in care
• share ideas with carers and workers
• speak with other children and young people in-care and post-care at the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) in their state/territory to represent their views and ideas for change.

This year we've included a 'Call to Action' for staff in the out-of-home care sector, so we can all work together to achieve change. 

If you are interested in meeting the delegates of the NYAC from your state go along to your state’s Youth Advisory Group (or YAG). At the YAG you too can have heaps of fun and also have your say about what it’s really like to be in care.

For more info contact the CREATE office in your state on 1800 605 155.