Find and Connect Support Services

The Australian Government announced the Find and Connect Support Services program after the National Apology to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants in 2009.

About Find and Connect Support Services

Forgotten Australians, Care Leavers and Former Child Migrants can access Find and Connect Support Services(Opens in a new tab/window). This includes the helpline 1800 16 11 09* and Find and Connect(Opens in a new tab/window) website. 

Support services include: 

  • specialist trauma informed counselling 
  • referral services 
  • peer support 
  • education and social support programs 
  • help to locate and access records 
  • help to reconnect with family members (where possible). 

The service delivery model for Find and Connect had input from a variety of organisations: 

  • Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants representative organisations 
  • state and territory governments 
  • records specialists 
  • non-government records holders. 

Funding

The initial funding for the Find and Connect Support Services program was $26.5 million over 4 years. This was extended by $23.4 million for another 5 years to 30 June 2026. 

Funding for the Find and Connect providers commenced in March 2015. We fund 11 organisations across Australia to deliver these services. The funded providers include: 

  • seven state and territory based Find and Connect Support Services and a national Former Child Migrant specific service 
  • a national Find and Connect website resource(Opens in a new tab/window) for records tracing and access 
  • three Find and Connect representative organisations to support and present consolidated views and advice to government and the sector. 

Find and Connect resources

We have developed the following resources to help Find and Connect Support Services providers: 

* Calls made from mobile phones may incur additional costs. If you have a hearing or speech impairment contact the TTY service on 1800 555 677 and ask for 1800 16 11 09. Internet relay users - visit the Access Hub National Relay Service website(Opens in a new tab/window) and ask for 1800 16 11 09.

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DSS2427 | Permalink: www.dss.gov.au/node/2427