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Victorian Neglected Children’s Aid Society

The Victorian Neglected Children’s Aid Society was established in December 1894 as a non-denominational child rescue organisation. It dealt with hundreds of cases every year. The Society ran a Receiving Home in La Trobe Street, Melbourne. In November 1901, the Society opened a children’s Home in Parkville. In 1920, it changed its name, and became…

Family Focus

Family Focus was established in 1991, when the Victorian Children’s Aid Society amalgamated with Foster Care Westernport. In 1993, Family Focus amalgamated with Family Action and the National Children’s Bureau of Australia to form a new organisation, OzChild.

Social Welfare Branch, State Government of Victoria

The Social Welfare Branch was established under the provisions of the Social Welfare Act 1960 (No.6651) which was proclaimed in stages between 6 July 1960 and 21 June 1961. The Social Welfare Branch sat within the Chief Secretary’s Department and assumed all of the functions of the former Children’s Welfare Department and the Penal and…

Social Welfare Department, State Government of Victoria

The Social Welfare Department was established under the provisions of the Social Welfare Act 1970 (No.8089). The Department came into being in 1971, assuming responsibility for all functions previously administered by the Social Welfare Branch. In 1978, it became the Department of Community Welfare Services. The Social Welfare Department’s charter was to develop and coordinate…

Children’s Welfare Department, State Government of Victoria

The Children’s Welfare Department was established in 1924 to replace the Department for Neglected Children. The renaming of the Department signified the Government’s awareness of the stigma which had become attached to the term ‘neglected child’, and did not reflect a change in functional responsibility or status. In 1928 the Department became responsible for the…

Department for Reformatory Schools, Colony of Victoria

In 1887 following the proclamation of the Neglected Children’s Act (No.941) and the Juvenile Offenders’ Act (No.951) responsibility for ‘neglected’ children was assumed by a Department for Neglected Children while the Department for Reformatory Schools assumed responsibility for convicted juveniles.

Department for Neglected Children, Colony of Victoria

The main responsibility of the Department for Neglected Children upon its establishment was the maintenance and management of ‘neglected’ children including: supervision of State wards in receiving houses and probationary schools, provision of trade apprenticeships programs, ‘boarding out’ of children in the service of persons willing to take charge of their maintenance and education, provision…

Department of Human Services, State Government of Victoria

In 1995 the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) became responsible for dealing with children placed in the care of the state. This child welfare ‘function’ has been the responsibility of many different government agencies in Victoria since 1864. Most records of the predecessor agencies of DHS remained in the custody of DHS. Other records…

Department of Industrial and Reformatory Schools, Colony of Victoria

The Department of Industrial and Reformatory Schools came into being with the passage of the Neglected and Criminal Children’s Act 1864. Children who were deemed to be ‘neglected’ were to be sent to industrial schools. Children convicted of any offence could be sent to a reformatory school but justices had the authority to take their…

Tally Ho Youth Services

Tally Ho Youth Services, run by Wesley Central Mission, was situated in Glen Waverley. It came into being when the Tally Ho Farm was closed in 1986. Tally Ho Youth Services administered five family group homes. Tally Ho Youth Services, Glen Waverley, presented a submission to the Inquiry into Children in Institutional and Other Forms…