Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Ministers statements: care leavers redress scheme

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:24): I rise to update the house on our government’s commitment to care leavers. The Allan Labor government acknowledges the trauma of historical abuse and neglect that too many Victorian children experienced while placed in institutional care. Between 1928 and 1990 an estimated 90,000 children were placed in care because of economic stress, social disadvantage, being orphaned or having a single parent or a parent with mental illness. As I mentioned in this place a few weeks ago, I recently visited the Australian Orphanage Museum. It is a unique museum dedicated to documenting and exhibiting authentic social histories about the experience of growing up in orphanages, children’s homes, missions and other institutions, including foster care. I was deeply moved by the stories of many of these children, also known as forgotten Australians, who grew up not knowing their families. Their grief and their trauma continue today, with many experiencing poverty, homelessness and mental illness as a result of the abuse they experienced. I would like to acknowledge the care leavers who are at Parliament today and thank them for their tireless advocacy, and I want to say to them and the many that join them across our state that our government see you and we hear you.

I am pleased to update the house that the Premier will make a formal apology in Parliament on the government’s behalf to survivors of all forms of abuse in institutional settings in the last week of November this year. Our government has committed to establishing a redress scheme for Victorians who were placed in orphanages, children’s homes and missions and experienced physical, psychological and emotional abuse or neglect. This scheme will build on support available through the national redress scheme set up after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. In the lead-up to the design of this scheme, urgent hardship payments of up to $10,000 will be available for care leavers in exceptional circumstances, and as part of a co-design process with care leavers we will draw on the models of other similar schemes to ensure it is meaningful, healing and respectful.