16 October 2023
AYJA is very pleased and excited to announce the first Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day (AYJAD) scheduled for 16 October 2023.
This new AYJA initiative is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate all youth justice staff and highlight the great work they do that often goes unseen and/or is misunderstood by the public.
An important part of valuing and supporting the youth justice workforce is advocating for the profession and the challenging but important work they do to deliver effective youth justice services to young people/rangatahi, their families/whānau and communities.
This year we want to focus on strengthening relationships and quality interconnections between our youth justice workforce, the young people in our care, and our partners and stakeholders that aid transition between community, custody, practice, workforce, culture and family within youth justice.
We also want to recognise youth justice as a professional practice and highlight the transformation of youth justice practice influenced by the AYJA Principles of Youth Justice in Australia and the revised AYJA National Standards for Youth Justice in Australia.
Accordingly, the theme for the Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day is Quality Connections: People, Practice and Purpose. This theme highlights the importance of building connections between people, practice and our core purpose in youth justice. It is through connection that individuals and teams working within the youth justice system can promote rehabilitation and positive outcomes for young people, their families/whānau and communities.
Participating jurisdictions will be celebrating you and this important day in different ways. Your department’s will provide details of local AYJAD activities via intranet notices and other communications.
Stay tuned for more announcements from AYJA!!
We thank you, we value you, and we are proud of you.
