About Us

First held in 2009 and now heralding its thirteenth conference, it continues to be organised by a committed collaboration between Mission Australia, the Benevolent Society, Queensland Department of Education, Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, Queensland Health, ACT For Kids, The Cairns Institute at James Cook University and Wuchopperen Indigenous Health Service.

Cassy Bishop is a psychology graduate and has been working in the human services sector in Cairns for over 16 years. Coming from a background in child protection, working mainly within Cape York and Torres Strait, Cassy now works with the Benevolent Society as a manager for the Cairns Early Years Centre & Kindergarten.  The Cairns Early Years Centre is an integrated service model that focuses on supporting families in the early years through playgroups, parenting programs, family support and quality Kindergarten. The service includes social workers, psychologist, occupational therapist, speech therapists, early childhood educators, child health nurses and family support workers who provide a transdisciplinary approach to supporting child development. The service also partners with Queensland Health and Wuchopperen Health Service. Cassy has a passion for early intervention and supporting families through integrated service delivery to give kids the best start to life. Initially working as a front-line case worker in both child protection and at the Benevolent Society, Cassy now works to help build communities that support families to build on their strengths.

Gwen Kemp is a volunteer member of the Early Years Conference committee. For over ten years, she has also been an active member of the committee whilst employed by Queensland Health until her retirement four years ago. Gwen has always been passionate about women’s, children’s and family health which is evident from her forty plus years working in nursing education, midwifery and child health. Her roles have been both clinical and managerial and she is especially interested in knowledge sharing around research and interventions to create positive outcomes for families.
Gwen loves to travel and is currently enjoying being part of the village for her grandchildren .

Janelle Sim is a dedicated Community Engagement Officer at Mission Australia, working at Hambledon House Community Centre and Communities for Children South Cairns. With over a decade of experience in community development, Janelle brings a deep passion for building strong, inclusive, and connected communities. Known for bringing people together Janelle thrives on creating opportunities for social connection—whether through supporting isolated individuals, organising vibrant community events, or facilitating networking opportunities among service providers. They are also skilled in strengthening community bonds through clear and engaging communication, including newsletters and social media.

Prior to this role, she worked as a HIPPY Tutor with Wuchopperen Health Service, supporting families to prepare their children for school and build confidence during early transitions. Their earlier career includes project management and co-design roles at Cape York Partnership, where they led initiatives focused on Indigenous education and community outcomes.

In addition to professional roles, Janelle has volunteered extensively across Cairns, contributing time and expertise to a variety of grassroots organisations while on parental leave. Their diverse background across community, consultancy, and corporate sectors—both in Australia and abroad—adds a valuable breadth of experience to every initiative they lead.

She says she is happiest when helping people feel connected, supported, and part of something bigger.

Jean Henle is a Clinical Nurse in Child Health, currently working with the Cairns Community Child Youth and Family Health Team, Queensland Health.  Jean’s nursing career has spanned over 30 years working for Queensland Health mostly in regional towns.   For the past 20 years, she has worked with children, infants and families in a variety of settings including paediatrics, and special care nursery. As a child health nurse Jean’s role includes supporting families with adjusting to parenting, understanding and responding to baby cues, infant sleep, breast feeding, infant nutrition, injury prevention, providing childhood immunisations, monitoring and promoting normal growth and development. Cairns Community Child, Youth & Family Health Services is a Queensland Health community based service supporting families with children 0-5years through the provision of child health nurse and indigenous health worker support in the areas of parenting, health, growth and development. Their Early Intervention Parenting Services support the nurturing role of families with children age 0-8 years experiencing depression and/or anxiety in pregnancy and early parenthood or attachment and child behaviour concerns. Other services provided include: Speech pathology support for children up to prep age – Hearing health services for children 4-17 years – Children’s continence clinic – Childhood and school immunisation programs – Primary school vision screening program for prep students – School based youth health nurses – Refugee Health.

Jen Rapier is the Program Coordinator of Family and Child Connect at Act for Kids.  She has a background in psychology and counselling and has worked within the child protection sector In Cairns for over five years, previously working in various counselling roles including individual; relationship; family; addictions and dispute resolution.  She is passionate about supporting her team to provide excellent outcomes for children and their families across Far North Queensland.

Originally from England, she has lived in Cairns for nearly 20 years with her Kiwi husband and their two teenage Aussie sons.  As a family, they love to travel and disagree with each other about sports!

Karen Thelan currently works as a Principal Community Services Officer within the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services in Far North Queensland. Karen has worked in local and state government administrative and strategic support roles over the last 20 years on the Gold Coast and in the Far North. Karen’s key focus in her role is to support and develop strong alignment between regional and state child safety planning processes and programs and represents the region in various sector and network forums.

The Department of Child Safety supports families to safely care for their children and young people, and provides services to support safety, belonging and wellbeing needs of children and young people not able to be cared for by their families.

Kimberley Daly – MIssion Australia – Coming soon

Margaret Osmond is the President of the QCWA Mulgrave Branch. Her professional background includes over 38 years’ experience working within NGOs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations, Councils and community-based associations in varied positions. Originally from New South Wales Margaret moved to Katherine in the Northern Territory in 1979.  After a four year stint of working in the cattle industry, Margaret took a position in a senior management position with the Jawoyn Association, a corporation with interests in tourism, mining, building and construction, community health, education and aged care. In 2000, Margaret accepted a position with the Aboriginal Coordinating Council in Cairns as an Administrator and in 2004 took a position with the Indigenous Consumer Network (ICAN) Cairns. Margaret then commenced working for Mission Australia in 2006 where she assisted to establish the Communities for Children Program in Cairns South and Yarrabah QLD.  In 2008, she moved to a regional role, within Mission Australia, monitoring finances and compliance for all programs in Employment and Community Services in the FNQ region.  In 2010 she moved back to Communities for Children as the Coordinator.  In 2018 Margaret moved into the Program Managers role for Communities for Children, Circles of Care, south Cairns Specialist Counselling, Family Support and Hambledon House Community Centre. Margaret retired from paid work in July 2022.  She is also a member of the Minimbah Bundagry Aboriginal Corporation based on Worimi and Biripi country in New South Wales.

Melissa Akmentins has worked in Queensland’s Department of Education for over ten years, in the Early Childhood team. In her role as Partnership Facilitator (Early Years), she supports early childhood professionals across the Far North Queensland region to connect, collaborate, and drive improved outcomes for children and families.  Melissa takes a strengths-based and community-led approach, working closely with educators, service providers, health professionals, and local organisations to build on existing capabilities and foster sustainable early childhood networks. These networks encourage collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and co-designed initiatives tailored to the unique needs of each community.   She is a passionate advocate for culturally responsive and inclusive practices, particularly when working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Her work is grounded in the belief that every child deserves access to high-quality early learning, no matter where they live. In 2024, Melissa travelled to Tanzania to visit Ramla, a young woman she has sponsored since 2008, to see her graduate from university. While there, Melissa and Ramla welcomed the next generation  – Winner, a young girl whose dream is to become a doctor.

Nicole Waldron – Queensland Health – Coming soon

Nichole Levers has been surrounded by grassroots activism young age—land rights, health equity, and education were everyday conversations in their home. Her familyhelped establish several community-controlled organisations that still serve the Cairns region today, including Wuchopperen Health Service, where She has worked for 13 years. Now, as Manager of Children and Family Services, she focuses on creating safe, inclusive spaces that support children’s growth and empower families.  She also serves as Chairperson of Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan, founded by her grandmother. Its commitment to maternal and child health deeply reflects her values. Nichole’s work with both organisations is more than a career—it’s a legacy she’s proud to carry forward.

Cairns region, as well as across Queensland, bringing a wealth of knowledge, empathy, and hands-on experience to every role she has held. Throughout her career, she has contributed meaningfully across a broad range of areas, including sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, youth justice, and Child Protection. Her deep understanding of the complex challenges faced by vulnerable individuals and families has shaped her holistic and collaborative approach to care.

Since joining Act for Kids in 2008, Tamara has been a driving force within the organisation, championing initiatives that place children’s safety and wellbeing at the forefront. In her current role as Far North Queensland Program Manager for Individual Support Services https://www.actforkids.com.au/service-pages/family-support/individual-support-services/, she oversees service delivery and operational management with a strong focus on trauma-informed, child-centred practice. Tamara is widely respected for her leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to build trusted partnerships with sector colleagues and communities alike.

Passionate about giving children the best possible start in life, Tamara is a fierce advocate for early intervention and cross-sector collaboration. She believes that when services work together, we can create environments where every child feels safe, supported, and valued.

Outside of her professional life, Tamara is a proud mum to five — four human children and one much-loved dog — and a doting grandmother to three beautiful grandchildren. She deeply values the role of community in raising and supporting children, believing wholeheartedly that it takes a village to help them grow, thrive, and feel safe. In her spare time, Tamara enjoys camping, spending quality time with family and friends, and getting out into nature to relax and recharge.

Vyvyen Wong is the Research Communications Advisor at The Cairns Institute; the tropic’s premiere research institute for the humanities and social science disciplines. Prior to commencing this role, Vyvyen held a position with the University of Papua New Guinea-James Cook University Twinning Partnership, an international collaborative project aimed at building capabilities in the tertiary sector and furthering relationships between the two universities. She holds a Bachelor of Business and has a varied professional background spanning aviation, travel, tourism, business development, sales and marketing. Honed over many years and across varied contexts, her skills in communications, planning, logistics and event management are an asset to the Early Years Committee. Vyvyen is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background and speaks English, Cantonese, and Tok Pisin (from PNG). She has served on a number of community committees and continues to give her time to charity efforts both locally and internationally. Vyvyen originally hails from Rabaul, Papua New Guinea and has lived in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Lismore and Sydney. Having travelled widely across the globe, she has now found the perfect tropical environment and is settled in Cairns. She is also pursuing a Higher Degree by Research at JCU. Fun fact: Vyvyen is the last of 9 children, aunt to 38 and great-aunt to 57. Let’s not count the cousins! Vyvyen is no stranger to the concept of children being raised by a village.