Voluntary Placement - recognition campaigns
Many children were placed into Care by their parents, rather than by the State. Children placed into Care "voluntarily" have been described as "largely invisible" to State Authorities (Forgotten Australians Report, p.72) Although the experiences of these children were similar or identical to those who were State Wards, there has been less recognition of their needs and support. In particular, access to records is often more difficult. Current campaigns are aimed at redressing this imbalance. For example, Tracie Oldham has led a sustained advocacy campaign through her own published memoir - My Shitty Life, publicity through social media, and direct lobbying of politicians.
For instance, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services, Hon. Colin Brooks MP acknowledged Oldham's activism in the Victorian Parliament, during discussions about the development of Victorian Redress Program in August 2022. He was responding to a question from MP Tania Maxwell, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, who had highlighted Oldham's work in advocating for the status of those who were placed "voluntarily" into Care.
Key people: Tracie Oldham
More information: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJRj8cYUwsE
knowmore
knowmore is a legal advice service for survivors of sexual abuse. It was established in 2013 to support people who were ginving information to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
https://knowmore.org.au/about-us/history/
National Library Oral Histories
More than 200 interviews with Australian survivors of institutional out-of-home Care by the National Library of Australia, between 2009 and 2012. Recordings and transcripts are available either online or by visiting the library in Canberra.
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 in institutional Care in the twentieth century.
https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/inside-life-in-childrens-homes-institutions
SNAP Australia
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests was established in the United States in 1989. It has since inspired other SNAP Networks across the world, including in Australia. SNAP Australia collects and consolidates materials relating to clerical abuse, including in religious Care institutions.
CLAN - Australian Orphanage Museum
Care Leavers Australiasia Network (CLAN) manages and operates the Australian Orphanage Museum. Established in 2001 at the CLAN offices at the time in Bankstown, NSW, it is in Geelong, Victoria. Scheduled for official re-opening in 2023.
CLAN
The Care Leavers' Australasia Network (CLAN) was founded in July 2000, a membership organisation for people who grew up in Institutional Care.
Key people: Joanna Penglase, Leonie Sheedy, Frank Golding, Jim Luthie
AFA - Life Stories
The Alliance for Forgotten Australians recorded and published a series of video interviews.