CREATE Foundation
The CREATE Foundation was established in March 1999 following a meeting in Brisbane of the Australian Association of Young People in Care (AAYPIC). It is a leading participatory organisation for young people in out-of-home care, providing platforms and opportunities for advocacy and activism.
AAYPIC
The Australian Association of Children and Young People in Care (AAYPIC) was established to give people a say in the out-of-home care systems that they were part of. It was initially made up of a number of different state and territory groups from around Australia, and in March 1999 these AAYPIC networks formed a single organisation called CREATE.
National Forced Adoption Inquiry
The Australian Senate’s Community Affairs References Committee Inquiry into “Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices,” followed earlier reports such as the New South Wales Report into Adoption Practices (2000), which had highlighted and documented the terminology of ‘forced adoption’.
National Forced Adoption Apology
Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered a public apology on behalf of the Australian Government to people affected by forced adoption or removal practices and policies in Australia.
Home Stretch Campaign
The Home Stretch Campaign successfully lobbied for all jurisdictions in Australia to extend the age-out point for out-of-home care from 18 to 21. It combined research, media and social media campaigning, broad social and political coalition building, and a tight focus on a simple and relatable issue, to persuasively argue for system change. Beginning in 2015, each State and Territory one-by-one agreed to make the change, with the final State—New South Wales—implementing the change in December 2022.
Voice of a Survivor
The Voice of a Survivor is a private company that helps victims of institutional abuse to find justice. It does this primarily through legal support, but also through social and political activism. It was founded in 2017 by Russell Manser, a survivor of institutional abuse. The Voice of a Survivor was featured in a report on the 7.30 program on ABC TV in February 2023.
National Apology to Stolen Generations
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd offered a formal apology to Australia's Indigenous people, particularly the Stolen Generations, on behalf of the Australian Parliament.
knowmore
knowmore is a legal advice service for survivors of sexual abuse. It was established in 2013 to support people who were giving information to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It has offices all over in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin, and provides services around Australia.
Inside: Life in Children's Homes and Institutions
An exhibition by the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, about the experiences of children who spent time institutionalised in the twentieth century. The exhibition toured cities in Australia before forming a small permanent exhibition space at the National Museum, and an online collection.
National Apology to Forgotten Australians and Child Migrants
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a national apology to Forgotten Australians and Child Migrants in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra. "We come together today to deal with an ugly chapter in our nation’s history … To say to you, the Forgotten Australians, and those who were sent to our shores as children without your consent, that we are sorry." Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 2009.