Dr Cynthia Hicban | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Cynthia Hicban is a children’s participation rights specialist in the early years. Cynthia is a facilitator, strategist, and advocate of children’s voices. She uses ethnomethodology conversation analysis to research the social interactions of young children and has developed the LViIP (Listening to voices in interaction for participation) approach for evaluating children’s participation rights enactment. Cynthia has facilitated young children’s voices on local, state, national, and international platforms. She is an expert in designing child participation strategies and training that aligns with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, the Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF) standards, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Cynthia brings extensive industry experience to each relationship, having worked as teacher and mentor in the early childhood education space, and consultant for a national playgroup charity.

Cynthia’s approach is collaborative, with a strong interest in building capacity, applying research, and engaging stakeholders at every level. Cynthia works to connect with advocates of children’s voices across disciplines and drive research that works in partnership with children.

SUBMISSION OF CHILDREN’S VOICES TO CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS

February 2023 – General Comment 26, United Nations
April 2021 – Growing child safe organisations in Queensland, Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs