We were deeply honoured to have our Defence Kids Program recognised as Social Program of the Year at the inaugural Veterans, Emergency Services & Police Industry Institute of Australia (VESPIIA) Awards for Excellence, held as part of the 2025 Future Frontlines Conference. The event brought together leaders and organisations from across the veterans, emergency services, and police sectors to collaborate and celebrate initiatives driving meaningful change.

Our Community Engagement Coordinator in Western Australia, Naomi Henderson, proudly accepted the award on behalf of the entire Kookaburra Kids team. This recognition reflects the collective effort, compassion, and commitment of our staff, volunteers, and partners nationwide who make this program possible.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Defence Kids Program provides mental health education, peer connection, and resilience-building opportunities for young people aged 8–18 from Defence and veteran families. These young people often experience the challenges of frequent relocations, parental deployments, and service-related mental health impacts, and our program ensures they have the support, community, and confidence to thrive.

We extend our sincere thanks to VESPIIA for this recognition, and to the Defence families and partners who continue to inspire and strengthen our work every day.