Children's Week 2025 panel - Supporting children to have a voice in your organisation

This Children’s Week, join the Office of the Children’s Guardian for a free public webinar exploring how organisations can empower children and young people to have a voice.

The session will connect children’s rights under the UNCRC (Article 12) with the Child Safe Standards (Standard 2: Child Participation). Through the voices of a young person and sector representative, we will share insights on how organisations can practically embed participation into everyday practice.

This event will also highlight links between multiple UNCRC articles and the Standards, offering a clear, accessible roadmap for organisations working with children.

Speakers

In addition to representatives from the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian, we are proud to host 2 guest speakers.

Ariel Marie

Youth Advocate at CREATE Foundation 

Ariel Marie is a Youth Advocate, lived-experience expert and consultant interested in improving the social systems surrounding Child Welfare and DSFV.

Ariel is a 2nd year university student studying Politics and the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. She is on track to do her Master's of Laws following her Bachelor's of Arts, and she wants to work in Human Rights Law. Ariel works and volunteers as a Youth Advocate with the CREATE Foundation, YouThrive and with Variety Children's Charity, and she believes passionately in improving education outcomes for youth who are disadvantaged by rurality or by growing up in foster care. Ariel is also deeply concerned about the recent increase in domestic, family, sexual, and gender-based violence in Australia, and have therefore worked for ANROWS as a conference panelist and consultant. Ariel believes in the power of storytelling and uses her lived experience to powerfully humanise the critical gaps in Australia’s social and judicial systems, which continually allow the most vulnerable in our population to be subject to violence. Ariel is also interested in the impact of rurality, foster care, and domestic violence, as well as how these issues intersect with other marginalised identities and issues of gender inequity.

Kaali Ortmann

CEO at Family Support Network Inc.

Kaali joined Family Support Network in July 2022 and is proud to lead a dedicated team supporting families across Lismore and the wider community.

With a strong background in human services and corporate operations, she brings experience as a consultant, community liaison, coach, and educator, working to empower vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Since stepping into the role, Kaali has guided Family Support Network through a period of growth and renewal. Under her leadership, the organisation has expanded its reach and deepened its impact. Her strengths in leadership, quality management, stakeholder engagement, and organisation strategy have helped position Family Support Network for a strong future. Kaali describes this role as the most rewarding and humbling of her career. She is deeply committed to building a safe, inclusive and responsive organisation that walks alongside families with compassion, respect, and purpose.