Mimi Crowe is South Australia’s Acting Commissioner for Children and Young People
These are the wishes of one seven-year-old shared with Commissioner Helen Connolly who completed her eight-year term as the inaugural Commissioner for Children and Young People in April. The Commissioner has heard from thousands of children and young people about what is important to them and what they like doing as part of her annual postcards campaign. And food is really important to them!
I’ve recently stepped into the role of Acting Commissioner for Children and Young People in South Australia. I think of this important role as the watchdog, taste-tester and head chef when it comes
to finding out what kids like and don’t like, what they want more or less of, and making sure young people’s voices are on the menu in decision-making spaces.
I will be spending my time listening to children and young people to find out what’s nourishing them, what’s missing from the table, and making sure those insights serve up some real change.
The Commissioner is an independent advocate. I focus on big-picture ingredients like safety, education, health and wellbeing. I look at whether the systems designed to support children are really helping them thrive.
I come to the role from the arts and cultural sector – I am the CEO of Carclew, South Australia’s home of youth arts. I know firsthand that when listening to children and young people creativity is a key ingredient. I believe creativity in its many forms helps children to express themselves more clearly and helps adults to understand deeply and design solutions that work for kids. I’ll be bringing that creative lens to every aspect of this role.
Two fresh new reports have come out of the oven and can be downloaded from our website:
Things That Matter 6
This report captures the voices and drawings of over 17,000 primary school students across SA who have told us about their life, school and community.
Early Years Postcards
This report gives us a glimpse into the lives of preschoolers across the state, in their own words and drawings. Both reports are full of insights from young people and remind us how capable children are of naming what’s working and what’s not. For the time that I am the Acting Commissioner, I’ll keep listening, sharing, and stirring the pot where needed.