VACCHO’s Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Families Wellbeing and the Balit Durn Durn Centre, supports the urgent call from the Healing Foundation, for all governments to take urgent action on the Bringing Them Home Report recommendations.
VACCHO CEO Dr Jill Gallagher AO, said she was appalled to learn that only six percent of the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report recommendations – made to support Stolen Generations survivors and their families almost 28 years ago – have been implemented in full.
“It’s been close to 30 years since the tabling of the report and survivors are losing hope that they will see the change the 83 recommendations of the Bringing Them Home report promised them. This is simply not good enough; we need urgent action, and we need it now.”
“My own mother who turns 99 this year, had six of her children taken from her. There are so many survivors who are going without the necessary care to age with the dignity they so rightfully deserve,” Dr Gallagher said.
The new report from the Healing Foundation titled ‘Are you waiting for us to die?’ The unfinished business of Bringing Them Home’ which makes 19 recommendations as part of a National Healing Package for Stolen Generations survivors.
The report offers practical policy solutions to some of the big challenges facing survivors and their families, including access to culturally safe, trauma informed aged care and health services, urgent equitable redress, prioritised access to records, and investment in Stolen Generation Organisations.
Executive Director of VACCHO’s Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Families Wellbeing Sheree Lowe, welcomes the 19 recommendations, highlighting the failure of multiple governments to implement all of the 83 recommendations outlined in the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have fought hard for many years for a national inquiry into the history of the forced removal of children and the needs of survivors and their families.”
“The removal of children broke important cultural, spiritual and family ties and has left a lasting and intergenerational impact on the lives and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
“Successive Governments have ignored the Bringing Them Home Report and we must take a stand. We need governments to implement these recommendations now and support Community to build strong families so we can keep our Boorai (babies and young children) safe,” Ms Lowe said.
There are Bringing Them Home workers based in our member services, these roles provide important local support services to survivors of the Stolen Generations within their local community.
While there has been limited investment in the Bringing Them Home workforce in Victoria, Ms Lowe said their great work should be acknowledged and celebrated.
“We need to recognise the significant contributions that these workers make on a day-to-day basis. They support people in finding their families, brokering connections and helping them find a sense of belonging,” Ms Lowe said.
