Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA)

Name

Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA)

Legal name

Association of Children's Welfare Agencies Limited

Website

https://acwa.asn.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ACWA generates revenue through annual membership fees calculated based on member organisations' child, youth and family services revenue. Fee tiers range from $290 for organisations up to $3m revenue to $7,264 for organisations over $25m.
2. Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Services: ACWA operates as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 90494) through its Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT), providing professional development and nationally recognised training to the community services sector. Revenue generated from course fees and training services.
3. Conference and Event Fees: ACWA generates revenue through annual conferences, Strategy to Action days, and sector events including registration fees for the National Foster & Kinship Care Conference and other professional development events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ACWA is the recognised NSW peak body for child and family welfare, providing sector advocacy, policy influence, and professional development. The organisation delivers nationally recognised training through its Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT, RTO 90494), operates grant-funded sector reform projects (Aboriginal OOHC Transition, Family Preservation, Domestic and Family Violence, GambleAware), and offers member services to NGOs across NSW.

Product overview

ACWA operates as a peak body for child and family welfare in NSW rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of advocacy services, professional development through the Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT, RTO 90494), and sector support programs. Key products include project initiatives focused on Aboriginal OOHC Transition, Family Preservation, Domestic and Family Violence response, OOHC Reform, Relational Practice, and GambleAware education. ACWA also provides resource bundles including online safety training (Safety is Safety), disability resources, PHSB factsheets, and a reports archive. Events include the National Foster & Kinship Care Conference and Strategy to Action Days. The portfolio is service-oriented, supporting NGOs, practitioners, carers, and government rather than delivering software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT): ACWA's registered training organisation (RTO 90494) providing professional development and training to the community services sector for over 30 years.

Products and services

• Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT) ACWA's registered training organisation (RTO 90494) delivering flexible, affordable professional development and nationally recognised training to the community services sector through workshops, webinars, e-learning modules, and self-paced resources. Available to frontline practitioners across NSW with member discounts.
• Aboriginal OOHC Transition Project A dedicated information and resource hub supporting the transition of Aboriginal children from Non Government Organisations to Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, aligned with Closing the Gap and Family is Culture initiatives. For NGOs, ACCOs, and government partners.
• Family Preservation Program Advocacy and support for family preservation services helping parents respond to children's needs, improve family functioning, and prevent children entering out-of-home care. Includes joint scenario planning with Fams NSW.
• Domestic and Family Violence Hub Resources and training hub addressing domestic and family violence including the Waluwin Wayadan Family Safety Collaboration place-based demonstration project in Dubbo and Wellington, and Safe & Together model implementation. Reached over 2,000 practitioners across 75 workshops between June 2024 and April 2025.
• Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) Reform Advocacy and support for OOHC system reform including carer support, workforce development, IPART pricing review engagement, transition support for young people leaving care, and carer utilisation analysis.
• Relational Practice Initiative Partnership with the Centre for Relational Care to strengthen relationship-based practice across the OOHC system, including practitioner resources and sector-wide reflection initiatives.
• GambleAware Legal Education Program Self-paced educational resources and regional events educating GambleAware providers about legal issues, court processes, DFV intersections, and referral strategies.
• IPART OOHC Costs and Pricing Review Engagement ACWA's advocacy and submissions to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's review of OOHC costs and pricing, representing NSW's non-government OOHC sector.
• Safety is Safety Online Safety Resources National project funded by eSafety Commissioner providing co-designed videos, fact sheets, and online training for children in care and their caregivers on staying safe online. Includes versions for general and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences. Co-designed with over 300 children, young people, carers and practitioners.
• Sector Events and Conference Program National Foster and Kinship Care Conference (co-hosted with Fams NSW for 2027), Strategy to Action Days, webinars, and sector forums providing professional development and knowledge exchange for practitioners.
• ACWA Membership Program Annual membership program for NSW child, youth and family service organisations with tiered fees from $290 (organisations up to $3m revenue) to $7,264 (organisations over $25m). Members receive advocacy representation, policy input, training discounts, and member communications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coercive control training reached over 2,000 practitioners across 75 workshops in metropolitan, rural, and regional NSW centres between June 2024 and April 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Partnerships

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

• AbSec – NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbSec is ACWA's key partner in the Aboriginal OOHC Transition Project, working together to transition Aboriginal children from Non Government Organisations to Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. ACWA NGO members act as transition allies, committing to work in partnership with ACCOs including AbSec.
• Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDVNSW is a key partner in ACWA's Domestic and Family Violence response, collaborating on the Waluwin Wayadan Family Safety Collaboration in Dubbo and Wellington, and jointly developing a business case for Safe & Together model rollout across NSW.
• Fams NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFams NSW is partnering with ACWA on Family Preservation sector development, including joint work on scenario planning and preparation matrix, and a joint International Conference planned for 2027.
• Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCJ is ACWA's key government partner in child and family welfare reform, OOHC redesign, and sector policy development. ACWA participates in government consultations, DCJ-led projects including Family Preservation redesign, and provides sector input on OOHC costs and pricing through IPART review.
• Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCG works with ACWA on OOHC accreditation, quality practice, and sector development. Partners on Strategy to Action Days and initiatives supporting placement stability and carer standards.
• NSW Ministry of HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSW Ministry of Health partnered with ACWA through CCWT to deliver free specialised face-to-face training on coercive control for frontline practitioners, addressing recommendations from the NSW Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control.
• SNAICC – Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNAICC led development of online safety videos for Aboriginal children and young people as part of ACWA's eSafety Commissioner-funded project. National non-government peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children.
• CAFWAA – Child and Family Wellbeing Association of AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAFWAA is the national peak for child and family wellbeing sector, supporting ACWA's eSafety project by helping bring together children, young people, carers, and practitioners for co-design of resources.
• CREATE Foundation NSWmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREATE Foundation represents children and young people in care and care leavers. Partnered with ACWA on Aboriginal OOHC Transition Project and youth participation initiatives.
• My Forever FamilymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMy Forever Family is a key partner in the Aboriginal OOHC Transition Project, working with ACWA, AbSec, DCJ and OCG to support transition outcomes for Aboriginal children.
• Safe & Together InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACWA is partnering with the Safe & Together Institute to establish a network of Certified Safe & Together Trainers across NSW, strengthening the child protection and domestic and family violence workforce.
• Social Ventures AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Ventures Australia partnered with ACWA and DVNSW to develop a business case for broader rollout of the Safe & Together model across NSW.
• Centre for Relational CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACWA is working in partnership with the Centre for Relational Care to strengthen understanding and application of relational care across the OOHC system in NSW. Joint work includes sector roundtables with Minister Washington and developing practical initiatives for practitioners.
• National Foster Care Sustainability GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACWA participates in the National Foster Care Sustainability Group for national advocacy on foster care issues across Australia.
• Kinship Alliance AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACWA participates in Kinship Alliance Australia for national advocacy on kinship care issues across Australia.
• Connect ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDonna Bevan of Connect Consulting consulted with stakeholders across NSW in Phase 1 of the GambleAware Legal Education and Engagement Program to identify common issues for education resource development.
• The Demographics GroupminorOthersThe Demographics Group provided data and insights for ACWA's NSW Foster Carer Demographic Outlook report, highlighting critical trends that point to a shrinking pool of potential foster carers.
• LumeniaminorOthersLumenia co-authored 'The Future of Foster Care in NSW' report with ACWA, outlining twelve steps to reforming foster care in NSW.
• Parenting Research Centre (PRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACWA worked with the Parenting Research Centre to develop factsheets for practitioners and carers on supporting children with problematic and harmful sexual behaviours.
• Barnardos ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarnardos Scotland provided therapeutic resources for supporting children impacted by domestic and family violence, shared through ACWA's DFV Hub.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS): National peak for the community sector. Comparable as a sector peak body model but operates much more broadly across social policy, representing the wider NGO ecosystem of which ACWA is a part.
• SNAICC – Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care: National non-government peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Comparable as a peak body in child welfare but at national scale, overlapping with ACWA on Aboriginal OOHC and online safety work.
• CAFWAA – Child and Family Wellbeing Association of Australia: National peak for child and family wellbeing. Comparable peak body in adjacent child welfare space, partnering with ACWA on national projects such as the eSafety initiative.

Emerging players

• CREATE Foundation: National peak representing children and young people in care and care leavers. Comparable as a sector advocacy organisation with overlapping membership base, partnered with ACWA on youth participation in OOHC.
• My Forever Family: NSW-based organisation supporting foster, kinship, and permanent carers. Comparable as a sector support body serving a subset of ACWA's constituency; partner on the Aboriginal OOHC Transition Project.

Direct peers

• Fams NSW: NSW peak body for family services and family preservation. Directly comparable as a state-level peak in the same NGO ecosystem, joint partner with ACWA on family preservation reform and conference work.
• AbSec – NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation: NSW Aboriginal peak body for child, family, and community services. Closest peer to ACWA in the same geography and child welfare domain, frequently co-delivering projects including the Aboriginal OOHC Transition.
• Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW): NSW peak for specialist domestic and family violence services. Comparable peak body model, partnered with ACWA on the Family Safety Collaboration and DFV training initiatives.

Others

• Parenting Research Centre: Research and practitioner support organisation for parenting and child wellbeing services. Adjacent enabler with overlapping funder and practitioner audience; co-developed PHSB factsheets with ACWA.
• Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT) – own training arm: ACWA's own RTO (90494) subsidiary delivering training to community services. Comparable to other community-sector RTOs (e.g., CAE, TAFE NSW Community Services) as a vertically integrated extension of ACWA's peak body role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ACWACCWT
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACWA.CCWT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-childrens-welfare-agencies-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/acwa.ccwt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA)