Page 5116 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 27 October 2010
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Recent amendments to the Adoption Act passed this year made further provisions to assist these information and reunion processes and renamed the ACT Adoption Information Service the Family Information Service. The work of this service has provided assistance to up to 50 people each year affected by past adoptions and who are seeking identifying information. This work acknowledges the detrimental impact of past practices, with women who remain very distressed, and provides support to these women, often over lengthy periods, as they undertake their personal journey searching for their child.
The Premier of Western Australia, in his apology on 19 October this year, apologised on behalf of the Western Australian government to mothers, children and families who were adversely affected by past adoption practices from the 1940s through to the 1980s. Premier Barnett expressed his sympathy to those persons whose interests were not best served by the policies of the time. The ACT government has acknowledged through its service models that past adoption practices can cause distress to the children, mothers, fathers and families involved. While the ACT government is not responsible for such events during this period, the government, through the services available, supported the children, birth parents and their families who continue to suffer the impact of these events.
I support a forward-looking service delivery model to assist children, mothers and families that have been affected by past adoption processes. The ACT has established specific services to support people who seek assistance and support. I have made mention of that service. The Search and Reunion booklet is a guide for people accessing the service and a valuable resource for people who are thinking about searching for a family member, but who do not wish to access support from the service.
Ms Hunter has proposed in her motion that the Assembly support a national inquiry into forced adoption practices and a national apology. While this is a broader matter than what is achievable through the Assembly, the ACT government has recently supported national research on the service response to past adoption practices. This process will enable a critical analysis of practices and responses to be undertaken and to inform future service support for families in a way that, while not forgetting the past, will enable us to move forward and consider further improvements rather than in a very public arena address very personal issues. I believe that we must do the best we can as a government to support children and their mothers to live happy and healthy lives.
At a universal level we have the services provided by the child and family centres, maternal and child health, early childhood and preschool services and childcare regulation, providing safe and accessible childcare to children in the ACT. There are also youth and family support services funded by the ACT government for the vulnerable, at risk children, young people and their families. These include services such as Karinya home for mothers and bubs, the ACT Playgroups Association, as well as—as mentioned by Ms Hunter—the ACT government’s Canberra college cares program, operated by the Department of Education and Training, which will be expanding nationally, as reported in the Canberra Times in October this year. I seek leave to move some amendments that have been circulated in my name.
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