About
During the past two centuries, hundreds of thousands of Australians have spent part or all of their childhoods separated from their families for a range of reasons. This could be a deeply harmful experience leading to lifelong disadvantage, yet many survivors have made extraordinary contributions to the Australian community – personally, politically and culturally. ‘More than our childhoods’ provides a place to collect and communicate diverse experiences of what it means to live a life marked by interventions from institutions and ‘welfare’ systems, and to highlight the achievements of people who have lived through those systems.
Care-leaver Activism & Advocacy
Timeline
This timeline is intended to honour and acknowledge the extraordinary work that has been done over generations by Care Leaver survivor-activists. The timeline has been built collaboratively with people who have been directly involved in survivor-activism. It is a dynamic resource and will continue to grow over time. To suggest additions to the timeline, you can contact the project team.
From Deficit Models to Survivor Narratives
Surviving Separation from Family - Life Stories
These life stories aim to recognise the breadth and diversity of practices that have, historically, separated children from their families. They range from people forcibly separated from their parents through statutory institutionalisation, to families separated through poverty and crisis, and children sent away from the family home to improve their social standing or education. As a collection, they encourage reflection on the different meanings of growing up separated from family.