The Juvenile Arthritis Foundation Australia (JAFA), is the primary organisation representing children with juvenile arthritis and their families in Australia. Founded in 2019 as a response to the urgent need for a national voice dedicated exclusively to representing and addressing the needs of children and adolescents with arthritis and related rheumatic diseases, their families and carers.

Our mission: stop pain and disability in kids with arthritis through early diagnosis and research with best practice care and support for all who need it. You can hear from children in their own words what it is like to have arthritis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X7xbnAM5f4. JAFA is a welcoming community of interest, open to parents, carers, young people, children, grandparents and other close relatives affected by juvenile arthritis and childhood rheumatic diseases. JAFA supports this community with opportunities for peer support, trusted information, education, engagement and unification around common needs. We link children with arthritis through our KidsConnect “Online” Community. We conduct ongoing political advocacy to improve health policy and services. We raise and leverage research funding campaigns by working with the government, private partners, the pediatric rheumatology community to understand and track the prevalence of juvenile arthritis assessing the health and financial impacts, improving treatments and to prevent and ultimately find a cure. We strive to be an innovative, agile and an effective organisation sensitive and responsive to the needs of children with arthritis. JAFA is a fully registered national charity with DRG1 status.