Foundation website

Our Vision and Mission

Creating a truly inclusive world built on choice, inclusion, equality and achievement, where people living with disability or systemic disadvantage have every opportunity to live the life they choose.

Our mission is to empower vulnerable children with disability (visible and nonvisible), and their families, by providing information, genuine understanding, guidance, and education to access all the individualised support services that are essential to the well-being of the individual.

We work to help ensure your child and family is treated with positive regard and respect.

Our vision is to pioneer collaborative child-centred practice for children with complex care needs, and advocate for real systemic change, so that all vulnerable children with disability are supported to live extraordinary, ordinary lives.

We work as advocates for child-centred practices. Our goal is to help bring about real systemic change, and ensure that no child falls through the cracks …

Directors

The founders of Emily’s Hope, Rachael Emerson and Maree Waterson, have lived experience of raising children (joining the family via birth, foster care and adoption) in transracial and multicultural family constructs, and supporting children with visible and nonvisible special needs.

Rachael Emerson has over 20 years experience working with young people in both Government and NGO roles. She is an experienced Social Worker and has also worked as a Tutor at James Cook University School of Medicine. Rachael has also served as Vice President of International Adoptive Families of Queensland (IAFQ).

Maree Waterson is an experienced nurse with a passion for collaborative care for children with complex care needs. Over the past decade, she has built a strong reputation in the adoption community as a passionate advocate for child-centred practices. Maree has served as President of International Adoptive Families of Queensland (IAFQ), and has been a member of the National Intercountry Adoptive Advisory Group (NICAAG). Maree has also served on steering and advisory groups to the Department in relation to adoption and foster care.

History

Emily’s Hope is dedicated to Maree and husband Shane’s daughter, Emily. Embraced by the Waterson’s at 19 months of age, Emily joined a family with children of multicultural background and unique needs via adoption and foster care. Emily lived with significant special needs – some understood, and some not. Her life had a huge impact on everyone she met. Emily was quick with a smile or a wink. She showed determination in everything she did and accomplished. Most of all, Emily taught others how to enjoy the moment and not worry about tomorrow, as it is never promised. Emily’s health deteriorated in 2014, causing Maree and Emily to spend considerable time in hospital. Sadly, Emily lost her battle in January 2015. Her death enquiry highlighted that cracks exist in many systems that surround vulnerable children. In October 2017, Maree and Rachael launched Emily’s Hope, bringing together their commitment to support vulnerable children, and advocate for systemic change to ensure that children with disability (visible and nonvisible) are understood and provided with the support, assistance and services they need to live extraordinary, ordinary lives.

Reports

Coming soon.

Emily’s Hope respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country and Elders throughout Australia, and pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise the connections to land, sea and community held by Aboriginal and Torres and Strait Islander peoples, and acknowledge their strength and wisdom in caring for, and maintaining, Country.

Copyright Emily’s Hope 2024. All rights reserved.
Scroll to Top