There are estimated to be over 500,000 children who were placed in institutional and out of home care around Australia between 1920 to 1989. They are known as Forgotten Australians or Care Leavers.

Many suffered abuse and neglect while in these facilities from the very people who were supposed to care for and protect them. These institutions included Churches, Orphanages, Children’s homes, Group Homes, Youth Detention Centres and Adult Mental Health Facilities. As well as being denied access to health care, education, love, and affection there have been innumerable reports of mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Due to these conditions, many Forgotten Australians continue to face an array of complex issues which include mental and physical illnesses, homelessness, substance abuse, relationship issues, and poor literacy.

To this purpose, the National Aged and Community Care Roundtable for Forgotten Australians (Roundtable) has assembled a national community group committed towards improving the aged and community care system currently in place for Forgotten Australians.

The Roundtable brings together Forgotten Australians and other Care Leavers along with specialist services, aged and community care providers and researchers committed to improving the access, appropriateness and quality of support and care for Forgotten Australians who are ageing or ageing prematurely. The group aims to spotlight the need for people with lived experience of institutional child abuse themselves as they age, or are ageing prematurely because of the neglect and abuse they received in care as children.

To this effect, the Roundtable will be hosting the Enabling Better Aged and Community Care for Forgotten Australians National Forum in April of 2022, in conjunction with International Care Experience History Month.

The Forum will showcase what the future could hold in aged and community care for Forgotten Australians and will spotlight the need for co-design new models of care, what the evidence is telling us, the need for change approaches and service models, international experiences, and the need for skilled and capable workforces across all types of care.

To register your interest for the Enabling Better Aged and Community Care for Forgotten Australians National Forum, please email contact@communityresourcing.com.au. 

Posted on 28 / 01 / 2022

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