This August, Maestral is excited to contribute to the ISPCAN 2026 Congress and RISE Up Policy Forum in Melbourne, Australia. Throughout the week, our team will be leading workshops, presenting practical tools, and contributing to discussions on financing child protection, care reform, and strengthening child protection systems.
If you’re attending, we’d love to connect. Be sure to stop by one of our sessions, or introduce yourself between events. Our team is looking forward to exchanging ideas and meeting colleagues from across the sector.
Where to find us!
Participatory Self-Assessments for Transforming Out-of-Home Care
ISPCAN Congress | 25 August | 9:00 AM
This practical workshop introduces participatory methods for assessing child care systems and planning the transition toward family- and community-based care. Participants will gain hands-on experience using adaptable assessment tools that engage governments, practitioners, and people with lived experience in strengthening care systems.
Bridging Faith-Inspired Care Practices and Formal Child Protection Systems Reform
ISPCAN Congress | 25 August | 10:30 AM
Drawing on Kenya’s experience, this presentation examines how governments and faith-based organizations can work together to strengthen family-based care and nationally led care reform. It highlights practical tools, lessons learned, and approaches for building stronger partnerships that place children and families at the centre of care systems.
Costing the Solutions: Practical Tools for Planning, Financing and Scaling Child Protection Systems
RISE Up Policy Forum | 27 August | 2:45 PM
How do governments move from ambitious policies to funded implementation? This interactive session explores practical costing tools that support workforce planning, service design, budgeting, and domestic resource mobilization. Drawing on examples from Ukraine, Kenya, and Zambia, participants will see how costing can become a strategic planning tool.
Bridging Children’s Care Reform and Violence Prevention
RISE Up Policy Forum | 27 August | 4:00 PM
This panel explores how countries are translating commitments under the Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform into practical action. Government representatives will share lessons on strengthening family care systems, preventing violence against children, and using the Charter to accelerate nationally led reform.
Innovative Approaches to Funding Child Protection
RISE Up Policy Forum | 27 August | 4:00 PM
This interactive session examines innovative financing mechanisms that can complement domestic investment while strengthening public financial management. Through country examples and a “Child Protection Shark Tank” exercise, participants will explore practical ways to expand investment in child protection and apply these ideas to their own contexts.
Connect with the Maestral Team!
Anna Jolly, Senior Associate and Care Reform Thematic Lead
Anna Jolly is an international child protection and social service specialist with more than 15 years of experience supporting governments to strengthen child protection systems, care reform, safeguarding, and family-based care across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Mari Hickmann, Senior Associate and Lead of Better Care Ukraine
Mari Hickmann is an international child protection and social services specialist whose work focuses on monitoring, evaluation, research, and systems strengthening. She leads Maestral’s Better Care Ukraine programme, supporting evidence-informed reform of child protection and care systems.
Shar Kurtishi, Senior Associate and Public Finance & Social Policy Specialist
Shar Kurtishi has 25 years of experience helping governments strengthen financing for child protection and social services. His expertise includes public finance for children, costing, investment cases, and sustainable financing for social sector reform.