LOSS / ForWards (Vic)

LOSS (stands for Lives of State Shame) was a grassroots activist organisation established in Melbourne. LOSS had its origins, according to its First Annual General Report, in a public meeting held at Parliament House on 25 July 1997,  attended by more than 100 former State Wards and allies, calling for attention to "the failure of the state to exercise due responsibility over the years for the many thousands of children under their care who were fostered out or institutionalised.” Over the next decade it played a crucial role in supporting former State Wards and raising the profile of justice for State Wards. It changed its name to ForWards in the early 2000s.


CLAN

The Care Leavers' Australasia Network (CLAN) was founded in July 2000, to be a membership organisation for people who grew up in out-of-home care. It has led many campaigns and protests aimed at achieving justice for its members, and holds an enormous repository of documents relating to out-of-home care at its museum based in Geelong, Victoria.


Tuart Place (WA)

Tuart Place traces its history to 2007 with the establishment of Forgotten Australians Coming Together (FACT) in Perth. Led by a group of Care Leavers, FACT was intended to provide a ‘drop-in centre’ for people who had experienced out-of-home care as children. In 2012 FACT became the governing body for the newly formed Tuart Place, based on services designed by Care Leavers and specialists. Former Bindoon Orphanage resident Laurie Humphreys was instrumental in its establishment.


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.

 


Open Place (Vic)

Open Place is a support and advocacy service for survivors of institutional placements in Victoria. It was established and funded by the Victorian Government as one of its commitments after its formal apology to Victorian Forgotten Australians in 2006. Initially funding was provided to the community sector organisation Berry Street to manage Open Place. In July 2020 Relationships Australia Victoria became the provider of Open Place.


SAMSN

Survivors and Mates Support Network (SAMSN) was established by a small group of male survivors of sexual abuse. It runs on a model of peer support. Assists with the lodgement of redress cases, and delivers training for social services professional to better understand the effects of trauma on male survivors.