Duografik, Author at Aboriginal Family Support Services

AFSS Announces New Chief Executive

The Board of Directors Aboriginal Family Support Services (AFSS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Shona Reid as the organisation’s next Chief Executive, commencing on 3 August 2026.

This appointment marks an important milestone in the history of AFSS as the organisation prepares to farewell long-serving CE Sharron Williams following almost 30 years of dedicated leadership and service.

For nearly three decades, Sharron has helped guide AFSS through growth, change and opportunity while remaining steadfast in the organisation’s commitment to Aboriginal children, families and communities. Her contribution has helped shape AFSS into one of South Australia’s most respected Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and a trusted voice for Aboriginal families.

AFSS Board of Directors Chair, Donna Henry said Sharron’s legacy would continue to be felt for generations to come. “Sharron has dedicated almost 30 years of her life to AFSS and to strengthening outcomes for Aboriginal children, families and communities. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we thank her for her leadership, commitment and service. Her contribution to our organisation and community is profound and enduring.”

The Board of Directors also acknowledges, with deep respect and gratitude, the generations of Elders, community members, staff, and Board Directors whose wisdom, care, and commitment have shaped and strengthened AFSS throughout its journey.

“AFSS exists because of the vision, determination and leadership of Aboriginal people, including that of the late Brian Butler, who understood the importance of supporting children and families through community-controlled solutions. We remain deeply committed to that vision today.”

Following an extensive national recruitment process, the Board of Directors appointed Shona Reid to lead the organisation into its next chapter. An Eastern Arrernte woman who has lived and worked in South Australia for most of her life, Shona joins AFSS following her role as South Australia’s Guardian for Children and Young People. Throughout a career spanning more than 30 years, she has worked across child protection, youth justice, community services, governance and social advocacy, with a dedicated focus on improving outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and families.

Board Chair, Donna Henry said the Board of Directors was confident Shona would continue to build on the strong foundations established by Sharron and those who came before her.

“Throughout the recruitment process, Shona demonstrated a deep respect for the history of AFSS, a strong commitment to community-controlled leadership and a genuine passion for strengthening outcomes for Aboriginal children and families. Her work and knowledge of the social service sector is deep, influential and of great value to our community and organisation. The Board of Directors is excited to welcome her to AFSS.”

Incoming CE Shona Reid said it was both a privilege and a responsibility to be joining the organisation.

“AFSS is far more than an organisation, it is the product of decades of advocacy, courage and commitment by Aboriginal people who believed our children, families and communities deserved to be supported by services grounded in culture, community and self-determination.
I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with this responsibility. I come to this role with great respect for the legacy built by Uncle Brian Butler, Sharron, the Board, staff, Elders, community and children, and with a commitment to listen, learn and lead in a way that honours that legacy.
The work of AFSS matters because our children matter.
Every child deserves to grow up knowing who they are, where they belong and that their community believes in their future. I look forward to walking alongside community and the Board as we continue that work together.”

As AFSS enters its next chapter, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to the organisation’s vision, values and purpose, and to ensuring Aboriginal children, families and communities remain at the centre of everything it does.

Donna Henry

Chairperson, Aboriginal Family Support Services
on behalf of the Board of Directors

The Metro IFS teams attended the 2026 Statewide Practitioner Communities of Practice Forum held at the Morphettville Racecourse on Tuesday. This was the largest gathering to date, with 366 attendees from NGOs, Government agencies, and ACCOs coming together to strengthen shared practice and collaboration across the sector.

The focus of the forum was Cumulative Harm on Children – “Harm Grows Quietly”, highlighting the often hidden and escalating nature of cumulative harm within child protection practice. The forum reinforced the importance of applying a cumulative harm lens across all assessments, interventions, and ongoing practice responses with families.

Discussions acknowledged that the level of risk and complexity presenting within families has significantly increased, with practitioners seeing higher-risk referrals and multiple intersecting challenges impacting child safety and wellbeing. Presenters provided valuable insight into responding to these complexities in practice, including understanding when concerns escalate beyond family support interventions and require referral back to the Department for Child Protection for statutory or legal intervention.

A strong theme throughout the forum was the importance of robust, reflective practice, with the reminder that families simply “being known” to services does not automatically mean children are safe. Practitioners were encouraged to continuously assess risk, safety, and the cumulative impact of harm over time, rather than viewing incidents in isolation.

There were also powerful conversations around the importance of “making children visible” in all aspects of practice. This includes ensuring children’s voices, experiences, presentation, and developmental needs remain central to assessments, planning, and intervention work as family practitioners.

The forum further explored how cumulative harm often develops gradually through repeated exposure to neglect, domestic and family violence, substance misuse, instability, trauma, and unmet developmental needs. While single incidents may appear low-level in isolation, the ongoing pattern and impact over time can have profound and long-lasting effects on children’s safety, attachment, development, identity, and wellbeing. The importance of early intervention, culturally responsive practice, collaboration, and professional curiosity were highlighted as key components in identifying and responding to cumulative harm effectively.

On Tuesday the 10th of March we had the privilege of hosting our AFSS Connection Event, bringing together young people and staff from AFSS, Baptist Care, and Junction for a day focused on connection, culture, and adventure. The aim of the day was simple: to create space for our young people and staff to connect with one another while spending time out in nature, connecting to Country and enjoying activities that reflect the core elements of what the Cultural Immersion program is all about.

The day began with an incredibly powerful Welcome to Country from Isaac Hannam. As Isaac played the yidaki (didgeridoo), all of our young people stood and sat quietly and respectfully, taking in the moment. Isaac welcomed everyone onto Country in Kaurna language before sharing the meaning of his words with the group. While Isaac played the yidaki, our youngest participant, watched with complete focus. He began making didgeridoo sounds with his mouth, carefully copying Isaac. After the welcome, everyone was invited to participate in a smoking ceremony, where Isaac explained the cultural significance and purpose behind washing ourselves in smoke. Several of the Baptist Care young people stayed behind afterward to ask more questions and learn more about the ceremony.

During the smoking ceremony, he confidently stepped up to Isaac and attempted to play the yidaki himself. He then picked up the clap sticks and carefully washed the smoke over himself. Isaac quickly noticed how drawn he was to the instrument and shared that he may need one of his own. Even after others moved on to the day’s activities, he stayed with Isaac for a while longer, listening closely as Isaac shared different animal sounds through the yidaki.

From there, the adventure activities kicked off. The tube slides were a huge hit, with laughter and excited screams echoing throughout the area as everyone joined in.
Our head chef for the day, Cordell, cooked up an incredible lunch of kangaroo and bush tomato sausages. It’s always great to see Cordell jump in and offer his support at events like this. His willingness to help out and be involved is something we really appreciate.

Throughout the day, young people also contributed to a connection canvas, placing their painted handprints onto the artwork. This canvas will now be completed by some of our young people to represent the day and the connections formed while on Country. Others spent time painting small canvases to take home, while Alarni was quick to get creative by painting her face.
Our final planned activity for the day was heading over to Challenge Hill to complete the obstacle course. However, the final river crossing quickly became the real highlight. What was meant to be a quick challenge turned into over an hour of the kids splashing, playing in the water, and laughing together. Aiden was the only one to successfully conquer the rope swings and make it across, although everyone gave it a red-hot crack.

One of the true standouts of the day was the level of engagement from all of our. Staff were fully involved, running, chasing, hiding, and joining in imaginative play with the young people throughout the entire day. It was incredible to see and exactly the kind of environment we strive to create for the young people we support.
A huge thank you goes out to all the staff who attended and helped make the day such a success, as well as those working behind the scenes to ensure our teams were supported and able to attend. Your efforts made this day of connection possible and we are looking forward to planning our next event to bring everyone back together.

We are still arranging all the finer details for this Information Session.

We will keep you posted, so jump back on soon to see the finer details.

In the meantime, contact our team if you are interested in attending a session, or would like to start your journey as a carer!