About Us

About ISS Australia

ISS Australia provides intercountry social work, legal and mediation services for children and families separated by international borders.

What We Do

International Social Service Australia (ISS Australia) supports children and families across international borders.

Who We Are

ISS Australia is a national, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. We have offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

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Why we Exist

ISS Australia believes children and families should be connected wherever they are in the world.

What we do

What we do

ISS Australia supports children and families across international borders.

As the independent Australian arm of the International Social Service (ISS) network, we partner with around 140 other ISS organisations around the world.

ISS Australia provides intercountry social work, legal and mediation services for children and families separated by international borders.

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Social Work

Our social workers provide holistic practical and emotional support to clients, with empathy and understanding.

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Legal Services

Our lawyers offer high quality legal advice and casework, using a compassionate approach to client service.

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Mediation Services

Our mediators provide a safe and specialised mediation service and focus on the needs of children and reducing family conflict.

Our services

Our services include:

assistance for families experiencing international parental child abduction

international child welfare and kinship care

international post adoption tracing and reunification

international family mediation

family tracing and reunification

child consultation; and other services where appropriate for children and families separated by international borders

Who we are

Who we are

ISS Australia is a national, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. We have offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

We provide services throughout Australia and also around the world through our global ISS network members.

We receive government funding for some services, but rely on fees, donations and other income to continue to provide our full range of our services.

While ISS Australia has operated since the late 1930s, we were formally incorporated in 1961.

For around eighty years we have been committed to supporting children, families and individuals impacted by international borders.

ISS Australia is proud to acknowledge the support of
Rafton Family Lawyers as our major partner.

why we exist

Why we exist

ISS Australia believes children and families should be connected wherever they are in the world. We believe everyone needs to belong and know who they are.

Vulnerable children and families may be separated by international borders due to factors such as restrictive migration policies, government intervention, illegal adoption or surrogacy practices, or child abduction and trafficking.

In an era of globalisation with increased international mobility and migration — and where there are large numbers of refugees and displaced people — more families are separated than ever before. When separated from their family children may face inappropriate care arrangements.

As such, ISS Australia provides social work, legal and mediation services, in an international context, to reunite children and individuals with their families across international borders.

Operational Focus

Our Vision and Values

Our Vision

Is for children and families to be connected wherever they are in the world.

Our Mission

Is to support, protect and reunite children and families who have been separated by international borders.

Our Strategy

Is to grow our services supporting and protecting children and families separated by international borders. We will do this through service excellence and organisational and staff capacity.

Our Principles
  • ISS Australia promotes and defends the rights of families, children and other vulnerable persons impacted by international borders.
  • We support the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights standards.
  • The best interests of the child are paramount in all our work.
  • We are guided by the principles of neutrality, confidentiality, independence, impartiality and are committed to good governance.
  • ISS Australia’s shared commitment to families and children and individuals unites our global ISS network.
Our Charter

ISS Australia strives to provide high quality support that meets our clients needs.

Download Charter
Are you in need?

Do you require our services or wish to support?

If you require our services or wish to support our organisation, please do not hesitate to contact us.