Files relating to children under departmental supervision, Social Welfare Department and Predecessors

This series of ‘files relating to children under departmental supervision’ (GRG 29/108) covering the years 1950 to 1978 follows on from GRG 29/123 which covers the years 1920-1950. These files were a series of correspondence dockets on different subjects created when necessary.

Access Conditions

A Research Centre Members card, obtainable at the Archives, is required to research records held at State Records.

Although some very early records relating to children in care in South Australia are open for access, most records relating to children are subject to a 100 year restriction, particularly those which contain personal information about individuals. Written permission must be obtained from the government agency which created the record in order to access restricted material. To obtain permission a Freedom of Information (FOI) request form must be submitted to the relevant government department. State Records staff will be able to assist you with this.

Records

Each docket carried a reference made up of a number and the year in which it was create so for example 1/1953 would be the first docket created in 1953 and 2/1953, the second. Sometimes a number of dockets might be created relating to one child. Each would have a different reference number.
Although each docket concerns a particular child, the name on the file is not always that of the child. Files are also titled with the name of the parent or a foster carer. This series relates to children who came into care from 1950-1978. Unfortunately due to policies related to privacy in the 1970s, many of the files in this series were destroyed and only a 5% sample retained.

This series is arranged alphabetically by surname. The original files are held at State Records and are restricted for 100 years.