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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: I have trouble reading, especially on a computer screen. How can I get the information I need?
Q2: What is the 1800 number?
Q3: I want to reconnect with friends from my days in the children’s home. Can this site help me?
Q4: I live in NSW but I was in an orphanage in Victoria. Which Find & Connect Support Service should I ring?
Q5: Why can’t I find my name on this website? Where are my records?
Q6: I’m looking for a photo of myself when I was a child. Do you have those kind of pictures on this website?
Q7: My grandmother was in an orphanage as a child. Can I apply for her records?
Q8: Can I look on this website for the names of staff members from my orphanage?
Q9: How do I find information about the Home I grew up in?
Q10: I’ve tried searching the Look for Homes page, but nothing matches. What do I do now?
Q11: I’ve tried searching, I’ve tried browsing and I still can’t find my Home. What am I doing wrong?
Q12: Where can I find information about child welfare legislation in different states and territories?
Q13: I want to give feedback about something on this website. How can I get in touch?

 

Q1: I have trouble reading, especially on a computer screen. How can I get the information I need?

A: You can ring the Find & Support Service on 1800 16 11 09 if you want someone to help you search the website and read the information. They can also print you out a copy of the pages you’re interested in.

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Q2: What is the 1800 number?

A: 1800 16 11 09 is the number you can call to get in touch with the Find & Connect Support Service – there is one in every state and territory of Australia. The Find & Connect Support Services were established after the Apology to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants in 2009. Contact Support/Counselling has more information about the Support Services and what they offer.

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Q3: I want to reconnect with friends from my days in the children’s home. Can this site help me?

A: Not really. Find & Connect will give you information that might help you track down old friends, but that’s about it. The Find & Connect Support Service and other advocacy groups like CLAN might be able to help you get in touch with old friends, and let you know about upcoming events like reunions. See Family Tracing for tips about how to look for people.

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Q4: I live in NSW but I was in an orphanage in Victoria. Which Find & Connect Support Service should I ring?

A: When you call the Find & Connect Support Service on 1800 16 11 09, you will be put through to the Support Service in your current location.

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Q5: Why can’t I find my name on this website? Where are my records?

A: You will not find any personal information or private records on Find & Connect. This website contains only information that is already published and/or in the public domain, or information that stakeholders have agreed to place in the public domain to help Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants access records. However, this website can help you locate and get access to your own personal records which may be kept by government departments or past providers of ‘care’.

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Q6: I’m looking for a photo of myself when I was a child. Do you have those kind of pictures on this website?

A: There are some pictures of children in Homes on this website; but it is our policy not to name children in photographs on Find & Connect, see Content Warning. Many organisations have photographs of children within their archival collections, but they are rarely made available to the general public on the web. You have a right to access photographs of yourself, just as you have a right to access your paper records.

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Q7: My grandmother was in an orphanage as a child. Can I apply for her records?

A: Generally speaking, direct descendants and close family members have a right to access the records of a relative, but only once he or she has died. But different organisations have different policies about providing access to family members. You will need to approach the organisation holding the records (or get the Support Service to do so on your behalf) to find out what their policy is. For some more information, see Searching for Records of a Parent or Grandparent.

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Q8: Can I look on this website for the names of staff members from my orphanage?

A: It is possible that you will find the names of staff members (like superintendents or matrons) among the information on this website, but you won’t find lists of staff from particular institutions. Annual reports are a good source for finding out the names of people who worked in Homes at different times (some organisation’s annual reports can be found in the state library). The Find & Connect Support Service might be able to help you with information about staff members, or where you can go to find it.

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Q9: How do I find information about the Home I grew up in?

A: Start by searching in Look for Homes. If you know the name of the Home, type it in the quick search section. A link to the Home’s entry in Find & Connect should be in the results page.

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Q10: I’ve tried searching the Look for Homes page, but nothing matches. What do I do now?

A: Don’t give up! Maybe the spelling is different. Maybe the ‘official’ name of the Home is different to the name you know – this happens a lot. Try exploring the website in different ways by visiting Search this site. From this page you can see alphabetical lists of Homes in each state or territory.

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Q11: I’ve tried searching, I’ve tried browsing and I still can’t find my Home. What am I doing wrong?

A: Nothing, quite possibly! Although we have been working hard to find information about every Home in every state and territory, we know that Find & Connect still doesn’t have everything – Homes just keep turning up! We would love it if you could Send Feedback about Website and let us know what’s missing.

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Q12: Where can I find information about child welfare legislation in different states and territories?

A: This web resource has entries about child welfare legislation that was in force in different Australian jurisdictions, at different points in time. They provide more information about the different acts, and how they were used to commit children into institutional ‘care’. Other relevant laws, such as acts relating to adoption and infant life protection are also in Find & Connect. You can find legislation entries at Search this site. On this page, you can search for a particular act by entering its name in the Quick Search box. Or you can browse legislation entries by selecting a state or territory, then going to the alphabetical Legislation list.

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Q13: I want to give feedback about something on this website. How can I get in touch?

A: We value all feedback – positive and negative – from our audience and take it into consideration to help us develop and maintain the web resource. Use the Send Feedback about Website form to get in touch with the Find & Connect web resource team.

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