Andrew Jackomos
About
Andrew Jackomos is a proud Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmara man and was appointed in July 2013 as the inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in Victoria.
As Commissioner, Andrew is responsible for advocating for and overseeing the provision of state government services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, particularly the most vulnerable in the areas of child protection, youth justice and homelessness.
Andrew has recently completed two landmark inquiries: Always Was Always Will Be Koori Children, an inquiry into the Victorian protection system and interaction, with close to 1000 Koori children across Victoria; and In the Child’s Best Interests, an inquiry into the Victorian child protection system’s compliance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
For the previous 14 years Andrew was an Executive Officer in the Victorian Department of Justice and led development of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement. During his time at Justice, Andrew is most proud of the relationship developed between the Koori community and the Justice system, as represented by the Aboriginal Justice Forum and the supporting network of Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees.
Andrew is a member of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Forum and Aboriginal Children’s Forum. In 2006, he was awarded the Public Service Medal and admitted as a Victorian Fellow with the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA). In 2013, he was appointed as an IPAA National Fellow.
