Our Strategy

Twenty-five years ago, Walter Mikac AM established a foundation on the belief that “all children should have a safe and happy childhood without being subjected to any form of violence.”

What is remarkable is that he did this in honour of his daughters, Alannah and Madeline, who were killed alongside their mother in an unspeakable act of violence one year earlier.

Today, through our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, we honour our founders and the impact the Alannah & Madeline Foundation has made as we set out our vision for the future.

We uphold the rights of children and young people to be safe.

The right to be safe at home, at play and at school.

The right to be seen and heard, and valued.

The right to go online without abuse.

The right to go to sleep without fear.

The right to heal.

The right to grow.

And sometimes, the right to the unconditional love of a teddy bear when needed most.

We fight for these rights not just because children are precious, but because only when children and young people are safe can they also be happy, hopeful and strong.

Only when they’re safe is their best future possible.

That’s why we’re here, that’s why we do what we do, and it’s what drives us to want to do more.

But, we can’t do it alone.

We need you too. Our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan will guide us in our work, together.

What we’ve accomplished

We fight for their right to be safe, so their future is strong.

...and why we need to do more.

After 25 years, the challenges facing children and young people may have changed, but our mission has not.

One in six women and one in 16 men experience violence at the hands of their current or former partner – more than half said their child saw or heard the violence.

Each year, 13,000 Australian children are taken into emergency care because they’re at serious risk of harm or have no safe place to live. Many arrive with nothing but the clothes they are wearing.

Bullying – at school, online and beyond – continues to be a significant issue, with one in five young Australians aged 15 to 19 saying they were bullied in the past year.