Order of Australia honour for MacKillop’s Dr Robyn Miller 

MacKillop Family Services CEO Dr Robyn Miller has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to children, young people and families.

The honour recognises Dr Miller’s 40 years of tireless commitment to transforming the lives of children and families in need of support, and her leadership in advocating for systemic change to deliver better outcomes for disadvantaged children, young people and families.

Dr Miller’s community service began as a volunteer for St Vincent de Paul and the Brotherhood of St Laurence, whilst studying Social Work at RMIT University. She completed her Clinical Masters in Family Therapy and later worked at the Bouverie Family Therapy Centre for 14 years, before becoming the Chief Practitioner at the Department of Human Services in Victoria, where she was responsible for professional leadership of Victoria’s child protection, out of home care, family support and family violence services.

Seeing the need to address the challenging issue of sexual exploitation of young people, Dr Miller took on a role as a consultant to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, before accepting her current role as CEO at MacKillop Family Services in 2016.

Since her appointment at MacKillop, Dr Miller has led a significant expansion in service delivery, with MacKillop now operating nationally and employing more than 2,200 employees to provide family support, family violence, out of home care, homelessness, disability and education support programs to thousands of children, young people and families.

Passionate about early intervention to address the trauma experienced by children and families, Dr Miller has initiated innovative programs that provide outreach and practical support to those who need it most. These include Power to Kids – a child sexual abuse prevention program inspired by the findings of the Royal Commission – which has been delivered in residential care nationally, and is currently being expanded into schools.

She also has a commitment to continuous improvement, which has driven the establishment of partnerships with universities across Australia, and the creation of the MacKillop Institute, a training organisation that shares evidence-based programs to other agencies and services nationally.

In response to receiving the Award, Dr Miller said: “I am deeply humbled to be recognised with an Order of Australia, although the people who really deserve an Award are the brave children and families I am privileged to work with every day. They are the real heroes, and I consider myself fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work with them throughout my career.”

“I dedicate this Award to the children and families I have worked with, the extraordinary staff and carers at MacKillop, and all my colleagues in the sector, whose unwavering commitment to keeping children safe and supporting families makes a real difference every day.”

For MacKillop’s Board Chair, Charles Reis,“Dr Miller exemplifies the values that guide our organisation. Her leadership has had a profound and lasting impact on countless lives, and this recognition is richly deserved.”

The Order of Australia honours individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement and service to the nation. Dr Miller joins a distinguished group of Australians celebrated for their contributions to society.