Meet Foster Carer Dana
After supporting a young person through her work in foster care, Dana saw firsthand the need for carers and decided to open her own home to children and young people.
World Care Day 2026: Breaking Barriers Together
World Care Day – 20 February 2026
Celebrating the resilience and potential of children and young people with lived experience of care is something we prioritise at OzChild, and World Care Day gives us a powerful, global platform to share that strength far and wide.
What is World Care Day?
On this day the world comes together to acknowledge the strength, creativity, ingenuity – and all the brilliant ways young people in care keep rewriting what’s possible.
This year’s theme for World Care Day is “Breaking Barriers.”
What does “Breaking Barriers” mean?
Young people in care often come up against obstacles they never asked for – things like stigma, stereotypes, tricky systems, or rules that make opportunities harder to reach. These barriers aren’t built by young people; they’re built around them.
And yet every day at OzChild, we see young people showing what’s truly possible.
They speak up.
They create change.
They pursue goals with determination.
They show the world who they are – not what the system assumes.
Smashing Barriers at OzChild
We’re joining in on CREATE’s “Barrier Smash” challenge and highlighting some of the amazing achievements of children and young people supported by OzChild. Read their inspiring stories below.
Ava*
Ava*, 17 years, recently attended the relaunch of Parliamentary Friends of Foster Carers and Children in Foster Care event at Parliament House in Canberra, meeting the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, and local Member, Sarah Witty. Representing herself with confidence and passion, Ava demonstrated what a dedicated advocate she is for young people in foster care.
When asked by the Speaker “What can the system do better for children and young people in foster care?” – her response was simple but powerful.
“Listen to us”.
Zara*
After being disengaged from education for most of her schooling while in both foster and residential care, Zara* set herself a goal to use her lived experience to make a difference for others, and is now undertaking a Diploma of Justice.
“I want to learn to work with people from many different cultural backgrounds and experiences and this course will help me to work with people with sensitivity and awareness. I bring a unique perspective and understanding, as I have a personal connection to this field through my experience with Child Protection as a child. It is important to me that everyone is treated with equality and fairness – these are the qualities I appreciated in the workers I experienced as a child within the foster care system.”
Lucky*
Lucky*, 11 years, is sharing his ideas and experience to help reshape how care feels for children that are part of OzChild’s TFCA program. He meets regularly with TFCA Supervisor, suggesting ways to help kids feel safer, calmer and more hopeful, and how the team can making transitions less scary and building real trust.
Lucky is showing adults exactly what they can say and do to make a positive difference for kids experiencing out of home care when life feels most uncertain for them.
Santi*
At eight years old, Santi* arrived in Australia as a refugee, and subsequently entered foster care. Despite the indescribable challenges she faced, Santi was a committed and passionate learner, and excelled at school.
Now continuing to support her younger siblings and transitioning to independent living, Santi is studying a Bachelor of Commerce & Law, in addition to volunteering in her community.
Young people shouldn’t have to break barriers alone. Real change happens when all of us – carers, practitioners, communities and policymakers – step up to make pathways clearer and systems fairer.
Head to the CREATE Foundation to find out more about World Care Day and how you can get involved.
#BreakingBarriers #SnapThatStigma
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the young people we support.
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