Inquiry into the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Lost Innocents and Forgotten Australians Reports (2008 - 2009)

In September 2008, the Senate referred the following matter to the Community Affairs Committee for inquiry and report:

Progress with the implementation of the recommendations in the reports by the Community Affairs References Committee, Lost Innocents: Righting the Record, a report on child migration tabled in August 2001, and Forgotten Australians, a report on Australians who experienced institutional or out-of-home care as children tabled in August 2004.

The Inquiry recommended that:

• The Australian government apologise to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants.
• The Prime Minister write to churches and religious agencies to recommend that they issue an apology.
• New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia have redress schemes.
• Churches make sure that their processes for handling allegations were the same in all jurisdictions.
• The Commonwealth government help child migrants to reunite with their families.
• A whole of government approach to programs and services in health, housing, and welfare be put in place.
• The needs of older Care Leavers be met.
• Tertiary institutions run courses in child protection that include early childhood and family studies, psychology, conflict management, and the effects of children's institutionalisation, as well as the impact of social policy in these areas.
• Reform freedom of information and privacy legislation to make it easier for Care Leavers to access their records.
• The Alliance for Forgotten Australians and the Care Leavers Association of Australia receive recurrent funding. Care Leavers' support and advocacy groups should also receive operational funding.
• The Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management, a committee of Police Ministers, develop a national policy to collect and share data regarding historical crimes of sexual and physical abuse of children in care.
• An annual day of remembrance be held.