Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

What Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency does

VACCA (Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, legally Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency Coop Ltd) is a statewide Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) and the largest of its kind in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1977 by Aunty Mollie Dyer AM, the organisation delivers more than 80 programs supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and community members across Victoria. Core service areas include Care Services (residential, foster, and kinship care), Cultural Strengthening, Education and Early Years, Family Services, Family Violence Services, Housing and Homelessness, Justice and Legal, Protecting Aboriginal Children, Stolen Generations Services, and Therapeutic Services. VACCA supports 4,500+ clients annually through metropolitan Melbourne offices (Preston HQ plus northern, western, and southern regional teams) and regional Victorian centres (Wangaratta/Ovens Murray, Morwell/Gippsland), employing 1,200+ staff and operating under CEO Aunty Muriel Bamblett AO with a Chairperson-led Board of Directors.

The product portfolio blends direct human services with specialised cultural and digital assets: the Deadly Story cultural portal, Link-Up Victoria (Stolen Generations reconnection), the BUABAH (Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home) early-intervention program, Cultural Awareness Training delivered to mainstream organisations on a fee-for-service basis, Binbeal Murrup (LGBTIQA+ inclusivity working group), Stay Strong animated podcast (in partnership with GARUWA), Lubly Consent education program, and fundraising initiatives (Morning Tea for Culture, Run for Culture). Technology infrastructure is operational rather than proprietary, comprising standard IT systems for service delivery, donor and fundraising platforms (everydayhero, gofundraise, giveeasy), and content websites, with no disclosed AI, ML, or proprietary technology components.

VACCA's business model is primarily funded through managed-service contracts with Victorian Government departments covering child protection, family violence, housing, and social services. This is supplemented by tax-deductible donations (DGR-1 charity status), philanthropic grants (notably Gandel Philanthropy), fee-for-service Cultural Awareness Training, and a membership program. The organisation is a registered charity under the Australian Charities and Non-profits Commission and a cooperative society; it does not publish revenue figures and provides all services to Aboriginal community members free of charge.

Name

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

Legal name

Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency Coop Ltd

Website

https://vacca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

VACCA is a statewide Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation delivering more than 80 programs across Victoria for Aboriginal children, families and communities, spanning child protection, foster and kinship care, family violence, cultural strengthening, and Stolen Generations support. Founded in 1977 and employing 1,200+ staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northcote

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: VACCA is primarily funded by Victorian Government departments including the Department of Health and Human Services for child protection, family violence, housing, and other social services. Funding agreements require reporting on program performance and client data.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and philanthropic organisations supporting cultural programs, emergency relief, and appeals.
3. External Training Programs: Cultural Awareness Training provided to mainstream organisations and workplaces, generating revenue while building cultural competency across sectors.
4. Membership: VACCA Membership available for community members to support the organisation and its advocacy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VACCA delivers 80+ programs providing culturally safe Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) services across Victoria, including child protection and out-of-home care (foster, kinship, residential), family violence intervention, therapeutic and healing services, housing and homelessness support, Stolen Generations family reconnection, cultural strengthening programs, and education and early years support. Core program offerings also include fee-for-service Cultural Awareness Training for mainstream organisations and the Deadly Story online cultural portal.

Product overview

VACCA (Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency) is a statewide Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 80 programs and services for Aboriginal children, young people, families, and communities in Victoria. The core service areas include Care Services (residential, foster, kinship care), Community Support, Cultural Strengthening Programs (cultural camps, Koorie Kids programs), Education and Early Years, Family Services, Family Violence Services, Housing and Homelessness, Justice and Legal, Protecting Aboriginal Children, Stolen Generations Services, and Therapeutic Services. VACCA also operates several distinctive programs including Link-Up Victoria, Deadly Story Cultural Portal, Mollie Dyer Awards, Cultural Awareness Training, BUABAH early support program, Binbeal Murrup (LGBTIQA+ inclusivity working group), Stay Strong animated podcast, Lubly Consent education program, and fundraising initiatives like Morning Tea for Culture and Run for Culture. The organisation serves as Victoria's peak voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and has protected and promoted rights since 1977.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care Services Residential care, foster care, and kinship care services providing safe, culturally appropriate homes for Aboriginal children unable to live with their birth families.
• Community Support General community support services for Aboriginal people and families across Victoria, delivered through regional offices and community outreach.
• Cultural Strengthening Programs Programs designed to connect Aboriginal children and families to culture, community and Country through cultural camps, NAIDOC events, Koorie Kids Choir and Art Mentoring programs.
• Education and Early Years Early childhood education programs including Koorie Kids Playgroups and early years support to help Aboriginal children get developmentally ready for school.
• Family Services Family support services including family and disability services to help strengthen Aboriginal families and keep them safely together.
• Family Violence Services Culturally safe family violence services for people both experiencing and using family violence, including individual and family holistic therapeutic services.
• Housing and Homelessness Housing support and homelessness services including emergency relief to prevent Aboriginal families from becoming homeless.
• Justice and Legal Justice and legal support services for Aboriginal people involved with the justice system.
• Protecting Aboriginal Children Child protection services focused on keeping Aboriginal children safe and connected to culture, family and community.
• Stolen Generations Services Support services for Stolen Generations members and their descendants to find their family and for families to find members who are Stolen Generations.
• Therapeutic Services Therapeutic and healing services for Aboriginal children and families who have experienced trauma.
• Link-Up Victoria A support service to the Stolen Generations to find their family and for family to find members who are Stolen Generations, available at linkupvictoria.org.au.
• Deadly Story Cultural Portal A cultural portal website at deadlystory.com that helps connect Aboriginal children to their culture, including LGBTQIA+ identity resources.
• Cultural Awareness Training Cultural awareness training delivered by Aboriginal facilitators covering Aboriginal culture, history, Stolen Generations, and culturally respectful ways of working with Aboriginal people. Available as a one-day face-to-face workshop or online via 3x2 hour facilitated sessions.
• Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home (BUABAH) An Aboriginal-led early support program designed to reduce unborn reports and prevent child protection involvement. Provides mothers with intensive case management and wraparound support from an Aboriginal practitioner.
• Lubly Consent Program designed specifically for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to highlight the importance of understanding Victoria's affirmative consent laws. Includes videos, fact sheets and guides for practitioners and educators.
• Stay Strong Animated podcast for young people, by young people, created in partnership with GARUWA. Features stories of Aboriginal role models and community members.
• Yarn Safe Video resource for mainstream family violence and universal community services practitioners on using culturally safe language when working with Aboriginal community members experiencing family violence.
• Cultural Hub Online resource combining culture with knowledge and community, providing social, emotional and cultural wellbeing resources for Aboriginal people.
• Morning Tea for Culture NAIDOC Week fundraiser encouraging groups to host morning teas to celebrate Aboriginal culture and raise funds for Aboriginal children in care.
• Foster Care Program Foster and kinship care program placing Aboriginal children with culturally appropriate families, including standard foster care and therapeutic foster care options.
• Mollie Dyer Awards Annual awards named after VACCA co-founder Aunty Mollie Dyer to recognise extraordinary people in the community, hosted at awards.vacca.org.
• VACCA Membership Membership program allowing community members to become part of the organisation and support its advocacy work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children in VACCA care are twice as likely to be reunified with their families compared to government child protection services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Link-Up VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLink-Up Victoria is a specialised support service for Stolen Generations survivors and their families to find their relatives and reconnect with family, culture and country. Operated as part of VACCA's service portfolio with dedicated website (linkupvictoria.org.au) and statewide outreach.
• Connecting HomemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Stolen Generations Statewide Gathering 2025, co-hosted with VACCA, Link-Up, and The Healing Foundation. Provides support services to Stolen Generations survivors.
• The Healing FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation providing healing support. Co-host of Stolen Generations Statewide Gathering 2025 with VACCA and partner organisations.
• Monash UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Monash University and Gandel Philanthropy on William Cooper Indigenous Scholarships to support the next generation of Indigenous change agents.
• Aboriginal Housing VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Aboriginal Community Home Connect program, providing advice and support to Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tenants in social housing.
• GARUWAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAboriginal owned production company led by Genevieve Grieves and Kieran Satour. Produces Stay Strong animated podcast for young Aboriginal people in partnership with VACCA.
• Centre For Excellence and Kinship Care VictoriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver the Carer KaFE home-based care learning and development program from May 2023, supporting foster and kinship carers with training.
• The University of MelbournemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned The University of Melbourne to conduct independent evaluation of the BUABAH (Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home) program in 2024. Report authored by Sarah Wise and Ellen Pittman.
• Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented Garinga Bupup program at OPEN Symposium 2025 as example of Aboriginal-led evidence and practice, alongside VACCA's Gamadji Balit residential care model.
• Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative (GEGAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for the Return to Country Program Pilot in 2017, working with VACCA to guide Return to Country programs across Victorian ACCOs.
• City of DarebinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with VACCA and Link-Up Victoria to host the 18th Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations at Darebin Town Hall.
• HITFIT BoxingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver a 12-week health and fitness program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Werribee and Melton.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VACCA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vacca
• Instagraminstagram.com/vaccaorg

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency