About Allies for Children | Founding Member Dr Kate Alexander, Barnardos Australia
Dr Kate Alexander
Chief Executive Officer,
Barnardos Australia
Dr Kate Alexander is a highly respected leader in child protection and human services, with over 30 years’ experience spanning executive leadership, direct service delivery, and sector reform. As Executive Director with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, she led significant improvements to outcomes for children and young people across New South Wales and beyond.
Kate holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, with research focused on the impact of child protection workforce attitudes toward domestic violence. Her work has demonstrated the value of combining therapeutic approaches with robust safety assessments to keep children safe within their families. She also holds qualifications in social work and family therapy.
Throughout her career, Dr Alexander has established and led key initiatives such as the NSW Office of the Senior Practitioner, and has contributed her expertise to child protection reviews and reforms in other Australian jurisdictions. Her dedication has been recognised with the NSW Public Service Medal and a Churchill Fellowship for international research into child protection systems.
About Barnardos Australia
Because every child needs a champion.
Barnardos Australia is an organisation with a steadfast commitment to children and young people, placing them at the centre of everything they do. With aspirations to see every vulnerable child recover, thrive and reach their full potential, Barnardos programs focus on reducing child abuse and neglect, strengthening child and parental mental wellbeing, improving family learning, as well as increasing the sense of belonging for children.
Barnardos established their Aboriginal Cultural Unit, Gurung Wellama, to strengthen cultural identity and connection for Aboriginal children and young people engaged in their programs. They actively promote and celebrate the rich and enduring culture and connection to country of Australia's First Nations peoples.
Barnardos rely on relevant research, evidence and consultation to support hoe they design projects and programs that are inclusive, fit for purpose and deliver results. Through their programs and advocacy work, Barnardos Australia remains dedicated to the welfare, rights, and cultural heritage of all children and young people in Australia.