Recorded Webinars

Strengthening culture and identity in guardianship and open adoption

Tina McGhie and Belinda Kendall (Curijo), Dana Syron Clarke (Burrun Dalai), and Kylie White (Settlement Services International)

Tina and Belinda will share their insights around strengthening culture in guardianship and adoption and will ask Dana and Kylie to share their practice tips in this space.

Belinda Kendall

Bel Kendall is an Aboriginal woman who identifies with the Worimi, Wailwan, Barkindji and Wiradjuri peoples of NSW. Bel has extensive management and therapeutic care experience within the welfare and community sectors. Belinda has worked nationally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities as a lead Aboriginal Consultant on projects and provides leadership, mentoring and support to others in relation to cultural safety, protocols and leadership. Belinda is well known and regarded for her facilitation of Aboriginal Cultural Training and Leadership and Mentoring Training within Government departments. Belinda has specialised experience in working with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, young people and adults within the Out-of-Home-Care and Family Support fields.

Dana Syron Clarke

Dana Syron Clarke is a Warrimay, Birrbay women from the mid north coast of NSW. Dana is the Chairperson of AbSec and has been an active member on the board since 2005. She is a very respected Aboriginal woman that has contributed to our Aboriginal communities through a range of roles in Aboriginal health, child protection, sexual assault, and mental health for over 30 years. She has held positions on numerous Ministerial panels, State and National Aboriginal advisory boards and was the inaugural NSW Premiers Aboriginal Woman of the year in 2016. Dana is the Chief Executive Officer of Burrun Dalai Aboriginal Corporation. Burrun Dalai delivers holistic services across a range of programs including, early intervention, family preservation, restoration, out-of-home care, and aftercare services. The service covers 52,000 klms across the Nambucca, Macleay, Hastings and Manning Valleys as well as the Tamworth and Armidale Regions. Dana’s work reflects her deeply held belief that Aboriginal children and families are the Aboriginal future. Dana is committed to ensuring our communities are best supported to guarantee that our kids remain with family, rich in their culture and belonging. To Dana, “family is everything; it is our past and our future”.

Kylie White

Kylie is an Operations Manager with SSI Multicultural Child and Family Program. Kylie has spent over 20 years in the Child protection and Out of Home Care Sector. Kylie is passionate about children and young people maintaining relationships with their families, kin and community and maintaining a meaningful connection to their ethnicity, language and faith. Kylie has expertise in leading work in the PSP space and working towards permanent pathways for children where their connections are still maintained.

Tina McGhie

Tina McGhie is an Aboriginal woman who identified with the Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal peoples of NSW. She has extensive change management experience within employment, welfare and community services sectors. Tina has over 20 years’ experience working in Government and non-Government sectors before joining Curijo in the roles of Chair Consultant. Tina holds board member roles at AbSec and Directions Health Services. As a qualified trainer and Assessor, Tina has delivered training in Certificate IV Business Governance, Community Services and Trauma Informed Care. Tina specialises in working with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, young people and adults within the Out-of-Home Care and Family Support fields.