Day 1 recordings and presentations
We're currently updating this page with presentation slides as they become available. Please check back regularly for new content.
The presentations below represent a selection of conference sessions that presenters have approved for sharing. This is not a complete collection of presentations from AIFS Conference 2026.
Keynote – Prof Raymond Lovett
Informing Australia’s understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family: Introducing the Indigenous family lifeworld
Parenting, services and family wellbeing
- What creates therapeutic change for traumatised parents and their teens?
Dr Vivienne Colegrove, The Cairnmillar Institute - Measuring change in child and family wellbeing - an outcomes tree framework
Dr Melissa Savaglio, Monash University & Chris Demeyer, BaptistCare - Family Snapshot: An Australian family functioning tool for Intensive Family Services (IFS)
Dr Kelly Jones, Department of Human Services - Mental health for parents with cognitive impairment accessing family services
Julie Ja, Deakin University
Supporting children and families in the early years
- Valuing play: Economic evidence for Toy Libraries’ impact
Debbie Williams, Toy Libraries Australia & Suzi Young, Think Impact - Parental reflective functioning in pregnancy: Supporting parent–infant attachment before birth
Claire Georgiou, Playgroup Victoria - Reimagining toddler wellbeing through co-designed, culturally grounded parent–child interaction therapy innovations
Lee Bratel & Kay Souter,Karitane - Playgroup Tasmania’s family linker role: Supporting Tasmanian children and families
Alison Keddie & Bec Bowen,both from Playgroup Tasmania
Engaging boys and men in violence prevention
- Professional learning to disrupt the manosphere: Supporting schools to address digitally-mediated misogyny
Dr Naomi Pfitzner & Dr Stephanie Wescott, both from Monash University - ‘It would make you feel safer, having a connection with someone’
Dr Cadhla O Sulliva & Prof Sharon Bessell, both from ANU - Tailoring violence prevention efforts to the needs of children and young people
Prof Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Monash University & Matt Tyler, Monash University/UNSW Sydney - Working with young people on gender norms and masculinities: What works?
Anagha Joshi, AIFS
Out-of-home care
- Money isn’t enough: Learnings from an Australian extended care program
Dr Jemma Venables,University of Queensland - Does NSW’s Permanency Support Program improve reunification from out-of-home care?
Dr Jessica Roberts & Dr Lisa Hodgkin, both from Monash University - Childhood experiences of DFV among young people who die by suicide: Identifying opportunities for holistic, early interventions
Prof Silke Meyer, Griffith University - When transition planning fails, after-care shifts from proactive support to crisis response
Dr Charlotte Young & Dr Jemma Venables, both from The University of Queensland
Service interventions and DFSV
- Legally Assisted Family Dispute Resolution: A community sector partnership model
Dr Genevieve Heard & Melody Petersen-Tan, both from Relationships Australia Victoria - From co-design to impact: A theory of change for MBCPs Dr Genevieve Heard, Relationships Australia Vic,
Dr Glenn Althor, Relationships Australia NSW & Kathryn Goldsworthy, AIFS - Sharing Wisdom: Integrating multicultural expertise in the specialist family violence sector
Mary Stathopoulos & Jess Kirwan, both from University of Melbourne - Mapping interventions for people using family violence: research and practice insights
Jackie Brady & Dr Robyn Clough, both from Family and Relationship Services Australia
Inclusive service systems
- The future of family needs: What helplines are seeing first
Jess Price & Deborah Bunting,Relationships Australia - Inclusive Pathways: Supporting LGBTIQ+ families in maternity and child and family health
Cyrena Hunt-Madden, Charles Sturt University - How services support families to build their ‘Village’
Dr Tom McClean, Uniting NSW/ ACT, Natalie Worthington & Angela Hoy, both from Uniting Vic/Tas - Building trauma-transformative foster care through behavioural data and therapeutic integration
Margaret Stott & Amy Mackenzie, both from OzChild
Military and Veteran families: Work–family dynamics and transitions
- Families as shock absorbers: What happens when systems do not adapt
Dr Sandi Laaksonen-Sherrin, Soldier On - Family dynamics in transition: Navigating change from military to civilian life
Angeli Tabinga, Gallipoli Medical Research - When families decide: Military service and leaving the ADF
Andrew Prevett, Open Door Initiative, Flinders University - Work-life balance in the Army – an irreconcilable dilemma for the warrior-father
Annie North, UNSW Canberra
Using data insights to inform policy (Methods)
- iMOB: Shifting research paradigms through Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander leadership
Daniel Pole, Head of Melbourne, Public Affairs - Keeping longitudinal studies relevant in a changing social landscape
Amanda Vittiglia, AIFS - The family domestic and sexual violence integrated data system (FDSV IDS)
Sally Mills, AIHW - From cultural data to insight: Strengthening work with multicultural children and families
Sonia Kalsi, Syd West Multicultural Services & Kathy Karatasas, Cultural Works
Decision-making in early childhood intervention and related services: Operationalising the decision-making guide
- Facilitator: Dr Stewart Muir, AIFS
Speakers: Dr Tim Moore, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Supporting children and young people with disability
- Supporting LGBTQ+ young people with disability
Bowie Stutchbury, AIFS - The use of potentially harmful behaviours used by Autistic children
Kylie Butler, AIFS - Enhancing online safety responses for children with disability using research/ stakeholder insights
Lauren Elston, eSafety Commissioner
Children and young people and DFV
- At risk and of risk: Young people’s experiences and use of domestic violence
Facilitator: Frances Lockie, AIFS
Speaker: Prof Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Monash University; Prof Silke Meyer, Griffith University
Healthy masculinities as prevention: Connected, capable and engaged for stronger familie and communities
- Dept of Health, Disability & Ageing Sponsored Session
Facilitator: Liz Neville, AIFS
Speakers:- David Casey, Dept of Health, Disability & Ageing
- Dr Sean Martin, AIFS
- Matt Tyler, Monash University/ UNSW
- Ben Vasiliou, The Man Cave
Implementing urgent change to safeguard children – Queensland’s In Plain Sight Report
- Facilitator: Prof Daryl Higgins, Insistute of Child Protection Studies, ACU
Speakers:- Liz Wall, AIFS
- Luke Twyford, Queensland Family and Child Commission
IPV and young people
- IVY Study: Reflections on use of Intimate Partner Violence by young people:
Riley Ellard, Centre for Innovative Justice - Image autonomy, algorithms and preventing image-based harms between young people
Dr Stephanie Lusby, Respect Victoria - Supported not stuck: Insights from VLA’s research into intervention orders against children
Alma Mistry, Victoria Legal Aid
Families and housing
- Mum and dad investors and families for rent: Australia’s family housing inequality
Prof Wendy Stone, Swinburne University of Technology - Parental support for first home buyers: The role of fairness Paul Vivian, Curtin University
Supporting families early: Longitudinal evidence on public housing and child wellbeing
Dr Jaimie Monk, Home Foundation
Gambling harm mitigation and monitoring
- Impact of mandatory carded play in NSW casinos for gambling harm minimisation
Dr Robert Heirene, University of Sydney - Odds are you won’t see It: BetStop awareness, visibility and under-use
Mikayla Budinski, AIFS - Lessons from a prevalence and impact study on gambling in WA
Joseph Cushing, Behavioural Insights Team
Keynote – Prof Leah Ruppanner
Drained: Reduce Your Mental Load to Do Less and Be More
Panel: AI and family wellbeing: navigating risks and opportunities
- Kirra Pendergast
Founder and Chief Strategist
Safe on Social and Ctrl+Shft - Paul Clark
Executive Manager, Education Prevention And Communities
Esafety Commissioner - Dr Beth Chapman
Associate Head Of School
Faculty Of Education, University Of Canberra - Charvi Voola
eSafety Commissioner's eSafety Youth Council