Younger People Participation

I was honoured to attend and co-present with a group of younger people from the Mercy Younger People Advisory Group (MYPAG) at the CREATE national 'Voices in Action' conference in Adelaide last week. There was a perfect symmetry between the call by younger people and their advocates for the voices of younger people in care, or with a care experience, to be heard and the work that MYPAG has been pursuing for the past four years. In a nutshell MYPAG has been on a glorious journey of discovery in what can happen when we as a sector take the voices of younger people seriously. What happens when we not only listen to the voices of younger people with a lived experience, but also act on those voices, building it into program and policy development. What happens when an organisation is answerable to those voices and embeds accountability to those voices within Residential Care and Foster & Kinship Care services. What happens is transformational and inspiring. Not just because it radiates a spirit of social justice and makes real the principle of legislated participation, but just as importantly, because it creates a space for exciting innovation, risk management and joy. Congratulations to CREATE and all the younger people in care who shared their wisdom and my deepest thanks to all the younger people in MYPAG, and their advocates for sharing their journey.