Scatter Cottages were a model of out of home ‘care’ where a group of children lived in a cottage with houseparents. Scatter cottages were run by institutions but were not located on the same property as main institutional buildings. Click here to see the full Find & Connect glossary
A Sanatorium was a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with the treatment of tuberculosis. Several institutions existed in Australia where children and young people spent long periods recovering from illness. Click here to see the full Find & Connect glossary
Sending Agency was the name given to the organisation responsible for arranging the migration of children to Australia from the United Kingdom or Malta. Click here to see the full Find & Connect glossary
Subsidised institution (or scheduled institution) is a term that has been used to describe an out-of-home care institution which received a government payment for each eligible child accommodated there. The subsidies were sometimes referred to as inmate subsidies or capitation grants, and in some jurisdictions institutions receiving subsidies were known as Approved Institutions or Approved…
The Stolen Generations are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who, when they were children, were taken away from their families and communities as the result of past government policies. Children were removed by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be brought up in institutions, fostered out or adopted by white families. The removal of…
The Supporting Mother’s Benefit was a Commonwealth allowance introduced in 1973 by the Whitlam government. It extended equal access to income support to all single mothers. In November 1977, it was replaced by the Supporting Parent’s Benefit, with sole fathers becoming eligible for payments. This payment made it possible for many single mothers to keep…
Service children refers to those young people who were under the guardianship of the Western Australians departments responsible for the ‘care’ and protection of children. Service children had been placed in employment with employers who had entered into a service agreement. The service agreement was between the employer and the department or other authorised institution…
Single mothers (also referred to as unmarried mothers) historically often struggled to support their babies and to deal with the social stigma attached to their situation. These women (and their children who were born ‘out of wedlock’) were the targets of various charitable endeavours in Australia from the earliest days of white settlement. Until perhaps…
Schools for Specific Purposes were public schools for children with special needs that were set up by the New South Wales Department of Education. Sometimes they are referred to as Schools for Special Purposes. They operated within a number of state child welfare institutions. Their naming and classification has changed over time, but such schools…
Status offender is a term that describes a person who is legally charged with an offence, but has not actually committed a criminal act. Rather, the ‘offence’ is more to do with the person’s personal condition or characteristics. In the context of child welfare in Australia, children and young people charged with ‘neglect’, or ‘exposed…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
