Thursday, 17 August 2023

Ministers statements: care leavers redress scheme

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (12:25): Last week I had the opportunity to visit, along with Care Leavers Australasia Network, otherwise known as CLAN, the Australian Orphanage Museum in Geelong with the member for Lara in the other place. I thank Leonie Sheedy OAM and Dr Frank Golding OAM for welcoming me to the museum and sharing with me the exhibits on display as well as their own personal experiences. The Australian Orphanage Museum helps ensure we never forget the traumatic experiences and lifelong impact of historical institutional care, and it provides an opportunity for reflection. I would like to acknowledge the important role of the museum in capturing and honouring the experience of care leavers.

President, as you are aware, the Andrews Labor government is fully committed to a proper acknowledgement of the experience of care leavers as well as the Victorian redress scheme. We will build on CLAN’s efforts to ensure that the experiences of care leavers are formally recognised and acknowledged. I would like to thank CLAN for their critical role in advocating for care leavers and the Victorian historical care leavers scheme over so many years. We recognise the children that grew up not knowing their family, the children that were placed in orphanages, children’s homes and missions and the children that experienced physical, psychological and emotional abuse or neglect and the lasting impacts of their grief and trauma, which continue today.

I know that the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing is hard at work preparing for the commencement of the scheme and is working with organisations such as CLAN on a co-design and consultation process as well as the delivery of hardship payments. We know that time is precious. The Victorian government will continue to fund CLAN to provide advocacy services, advice, information and support for care leavers. Leonie and Frank, thank you again for your longstanding and ongoing dedication to this important work. We conclude by acknowledging today the many care leavers who have passed away. Although they are not with us today, their voices, their stories and their experiences will never be forgotten.