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Katherine McKernan-Headshot-Jan26-LR (4 of 4)Katherine McKernan

On Friday, 9 January 2026, Katherine McKernan began a five-year term as the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

As the Advocate, Katherine leads the NSW Office for Youth and is an independent statutory officer.

Katherine was previously the Executive Director at National Legal Aid. She has significant social justice and advocacy experience in housing and homelessness, legal assistance, disability, health, mental health, and women and children’s safety.

More information about Katherine and her priority areas as the Advocate will be available soon.

 

Previous Advocates and their terms

  • Zoë Robinson: 2020–2025 
  • Andrew Johnson: 2015–2019
Contact us

P: 02 9248 0970

E: acyp@acyp.nsw.gov.au

Street address

NSW Advocate for Children and Young People

Ground Floor, 219-241 Cleveland Street, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

 

Mailing address

NSW Advocate for Children and Young People

Locked Bag 5000, PARRAMATTA NSW 2124

 

The Advocate for Children and Young People is under the DCJ ABN 36 433 875 185.

Media

P: 02 9248 0943 or 0439 346 249

E: media@acyp.nsw.gov.au
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We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the First Nations Peoples of NSW and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future.

 

Informed by lessons of the past, ACYP is improving how we work with Aboriginal people and communities. We listen and learn from the knowledge, strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors, Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal communities.