Australia Cares is an ambitious new initiative from the Sydney Policy Lab at the University of Sydney, supported by the Paul Ramsay Foundation. It has grown out of a broad and diverse coalition of people who recognise the need for a fundamental shift in the way that society views and practices care. 

The ambition is to ensure systems of care in Australia are based on the values of agency and dignity. These values should be at the heart of the way care is conceived, funded and delivered.   

The Sydney Policy Lab's approach is based on co-design with people across the care sectors. During the past two years, the Sydney Policy Lab has been facilitating dialogues with care practitioners, managers and executives, economists, public policy experts, social innovators, campaigners, advocates and change-makers and of course care recipients.

Based on these continuing dialogues, the Lab is designing a series of collaborative projects that aim to: 

1. create a vision for placing care at the centre of a strong, resilient economy and a fair, sustainable society;
2. establish a more effective policy and investment framework; and
3. change practices in the design and delivery of care.