Development of Find and Connect
Senate inquiries
There were 3 separate Senate Community Affairs References Committee Inquiries between 2001 to 2009.
The reports from these Inquiries highlight the impacts on children abandoned by or removed from their families. Not only were children impacted by poverty in their families, their placements in out-of-home care compounded the continued cycle of emotional and physical deprivation and levels of neglect and abuse on children. Children lost family connections and, without those connections, lost their identity, culture and in the case of the Former Child Migrants, their country and the hope and possibility of being reconnected with relatives.
The harm inflicted on children endures. Many Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants continue to experience mental health problems, incarceration, family breakdown and drug and alcohol issues.
The Senate Inquiry reports identify these and other struggles. The reports also show the inequalities individuals experience compared to other Australians.
Inquiry into child migration (2001)
The first Senate Inquiry looked at the history and treatment of unaccompanied children who came to Australia. Children less than 16 years old came from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta under child migrant schemes in the 1900s. The average age of these children was 9 years old. About 7,000 children came to Australia through these schemes. They went into various care arrangements in Australia.
The Australian Government was the legal guardian of the children. They transferred responsibility for their care to state governments. In turn, state governments transferred responsibility to receiving agencies.
The 2001 report emphasised the negative impacts of these child migration schemes. The Senate Committee made 33 recommendations in the report.
Read the Lost Innocents: Righting the Record(Opens in a new tab/window) report.
Inquiry into children in institutional care (2004)
The second Senate Inquiry looked at the care of children placed in institutions or out-of-home care.
These people may identify as Forgotten Australians. They are survivors of the Australian institutional care system. This was the standard form of out-of-home care in Australia in the last century. At least 500,000 children grew up, or spent long periods, in this environment.
The Inquiry noted accounts of abandonment, loss and grief through separation. Children also lost their sense of identity. Neglect, exploitation, brutality, mistreatment, physical and sexual abuse and assault was widespread.
The 2004 report highlighted the overwhelming absence of love, affection and nurturing in care. This was at a critical time during the children’s emotional development.
The Senate Committee made 39 recommendations in the report.
Inquiry into implementation of previous reports (2009)
The third Senate Inquiry looked at implementation of recommendations from the 2 previous reports. The 2009 report said more needed to be done. It recommended:
- a formal acknowledgement and expression of regret to Former Child Migrants. This was Recommendation 30 of the Lost Innocents report.
- a broader apology to people who experienced abuse and/or neglect in institutional or out-of-home care as children.
- a formal statement of acknowledgement and apology to children who suffered in institutional care. This was Recommendation 1 of the Forgotten Australians report.
Read the Lost Innocents and Forgotten Australians Revisited(Opens in a new tab/window) report.
Find and Connect Service scoping study (2010)
The Australian Government announced the Find and Connect Support Services after the Apology. A study looked at the scope and design of the new service.
The scoping study considered:
- how the service should operate
- what functions it should have
- addressing the barriers and issues for access to care records
- the support care leavers should receive to access the service.
Read the Find and Connect Service Scoping Study.
Find and Connect projects
Find and Connect projects include:
- research into laws and practices for freedom of information, privacy and rights to information
- grants to help non-government providers index records. This improves Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants access to their records
- an aged care information package for care leavers. The Australian Government Department of Health developed the package. It shows how early life experiences can affect older people receiving care. This helps care providers respond to their needs. Read the Caring for Forgotten Australians, Former Child Migrants and Stolen Generations Information Package(Opens in a new tab/window)
- National Museum of Australia travelling exhibition and education package. This is for senior secondary students (Years 10 to 12). Learn more about Inside: Life in Children’s Homes and Institutions(Opens in a new tab/window)
- National Library of Australia oral history project. More than 200 people from all over Australia talking about their experiences in institutional care. Visit the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants Oral History Project(Opens in a new tab/window). Read the oral history booklet You can’t forget things like that(Opens in a new tab/window)
- funding to strengthen sector representation and support. The funded organisations include:
- Alliance for Forgotten Australians Incorporated (AFA)
- Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN)
- International Association of Former Child Migrants and their Families (the International Association)
- Child Migrants Trust (CMT).
- development of Principles and Guidelines for access to records for Forgotten Australians and former child migrants. They help implement recommendations from the 2004 Senate inquiry.
Evaluation of Find and Connect Service (2014)
An evaluation in 2014 looked at the effectiveness of the Find and Connect Support Service. The evaluation considered Find and Connect Support Services effective for improving outcomes for Forgotten Australians and former Child Migrants.
Read the Evaluation of Find and Connect Services Final Report July 2014.