Photo of a small group seated in a circle, suggesting a peer support setting, alongside a graphic reading “RAISE – Peer Support for Parents” with icons representing disability, inclusion and care, and the words Respect, Accessibility, Inclusion, Support and Empowerment.

RAISE Program

The Reily Foundation’s RAISE Program is a targeted initiative designed to support parents with disability who are navigating the child protection system in South Australia. This program recognises the systemic barriers and discrimination faced by parents with disability and delivers tailored support to improve engagement, advocacy, and outcomes within child protection processes.

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About the grant

The name RAISE captures the heart and purpose of the program — it stands for Respect, Accessibility, Inclusion, Support and Empowerment. These five pillars reflect the values parents say matter most in rebuilding trust, navigating the child protection system, and feeling genuinely seen and supported.

Through this initiative, the Reily Foundation will provide peer-led mentorship, adaptive parenting workshops, and supported education services to parents with disability. Delivered by individuals with lived experience, the program bridges a critical service gap for families often excluded or misunderstood by mainstream support systems.

This approach equips parents with disability with the information they need to meaningfully participate in decisions about their children, and works to challenge the systemic bias within the child protection system. The program will also contribute to broader sector reform through data-informed reporting and policy submissions developed in collaboration with lived experience.

This project was originally called the Parent Inclusion Program. The name has been changed to RAISE following codesign with parents.

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Project goals

The key goals of this project are to:

  • Improve child protection outcomes for parents with disability through increased understanding, engagement, and education.
  • Deliver peer mentorship and tailored parenting education for up to 60 families over three years.
  • Build sector capacity through the inclusion of lived experience in system reform and consultation.

 

The expected outcomes of this project are:

  • Reduced risk of family separation due to unsupported disability-related needs.
  • Stronger engagement between parents and Department for Child Protection (DCP).
  • Greater recognition of the rights and capacity of parents with disability in South Australia.

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Related content

Nadia, a brunette with shoulder-length hair wearing a red blouse, smiles at the camera.

“Parents with disability are often seen through a lens of risk rather than strength. This program is about restoring that balance -ensuring that families are supported, seen, and respected throughout their child protection journey.”

Nadia Bergineti, CEO, The Reily Foundation
Graphic reading “RAISE – Peer Support for Parents” with icons representing disability, inclusion and care, and the words Respect, Accessibility, Inclusion, Support and Empowerment.

“I am honoured to be part of the Reily Foundation’s Advisory Group, RAISE. It is a big step forward in the right direction, that is, one of change. We have a very unique position to use our lived experience in order to help make this change to a system that is broken. Together we will RAISE.”

Tash B, RAISE Advisory Group Member

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