Family Advocacy Inc

Parent Advocacy Inc was established in 1985 following parent participation on advisory and consultative committees which had been formed as a result of disability awareness raised in the community in the International Year of the Disabled, 1981.

Parents who had previously relied on professionals to advise them on their children's needs, realized that they best knew their children and their special needs.

Parent Advocacy Inc has supported and assisted families to participate in decision making and to work together with disability services to achieve better opportunities for their family members who have disabilities.

 Family Advocacy has a membership of over 800 families across South Australia and is especially active in country areas. It is a small organization with a central office in Bowden and four regional offices. A country office in Clare covers the far/mid north, Riverland and Yorke Peninsula areas, another in Mount Gambier and the southern office covers the Adelaide Hills, Murray Bridge, the Murray Mallee, Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieau Peninsula. An office in Tea Tree Gully covers the northern metropolitan region.

 In 2006 Parent Advocacy Inc changed its name to Family Advocacy to more accurately reflect the diversity of families assisted by them. Twenty years ago families were traditionally made up of two parent families and their children, now there is an increasing number of single parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members caring for people who have disabilities.