Parents and Carers Reference Group
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Role and purpose
PCRG members share their experience and knowledge on the needs of children aged 0 to 12. They also share their thoughts on how the government can better help children and their families. The government will use this information to inform policy, programs and services which support children and their families.
The PCRG will meet at least 3 times per year and hold additional meetings as needed. Members may also be asked to review materials, provide feedback or participate in engagement activities between meetings.
Terms of Reference
The first meeting of the PCRG was on 26 November 2024 with members endorsing the Terms of Reference.
Communiques
Membership
The PCRG has around 20 members from across Australia. The majority of members are parents and caregivers.
Members have different backgrounds and different life experience, including:
- living in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote Australia
- different cultural backgrounds
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- sole parents
- foster/kinship parents
- people with lived experience of disability
There are also members from peak bodies who represent the interests of children, parents, or families.
Members are part of the group for up to 2 years. We want to listen to many different perspectives, so membership will change over the 5 years to make sure we hear from a wide range of people.
Members
Parent and Carer members of the PCRG were selected through an open expression of interest undertaken by the Department of Social Services which closed on 5 September 2024.
The Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, is responsible for appointing all members of the PCRG, including a Co-Chair.
The current PCRG membership is below:
Letitia Hope (Co-chair), Deputy Secretary, Families and Communities, Department of
Social Services
Peak body representatives
- Jamie Crosby (Co-chair), Families Australia
- Samantha (Sam) Page, Early Childhood Australia
- Georgie Dent, The Parenthood
- Prue Warrilow, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY)
- SNAIIC - National Voice for our Children
Parent and carer representatives
- Sara Barker, NT
- Lauren Binns, SA
- Eve Buckley, VIC
- Sarah Copland, VIC
- Sarah Cummings, NSW
- Nicole El-Hage, VIC
- Wendy George, WA
- Carly Grubb, QLD
- Kristy Jones, TAS
- Ravi Krishnamurthy, ACT
- Tomasi (Tom) Ramanumanu, VIC
- Malinda Savage, QLD
- Dinah Thomasset, SA
Establishment
The Early Years Strategy 2024–2034 explains how the Australian Government aims to support children and their families in a child’s early years. To support the strategy, the government has established the Parents and Carers Reference Group (PCRG), which will:
- provide parents and caregivers with an opportunity to have a say on what the government is doing to support our youngest children
- allow the government to hear directly from parents and caregivers on what matters to them
Establishing the PCRG is a direct response to Priority Focus Area 1 of the strategy: Value the Early Years - Embed the voices of children and their families.
The PCRG started in 2024 and operates until 30 June 2029.
Contact us
If you have questions about the PCRG, email PCRG@dss.gov.au.