Funding boost for vital Find and Connect services

The Albanese Labor Government is investing an additional $940,000 in the Find and Connect Support Services program, strengthening its commitment to support Forgotten Australians, Care Leavers and Former Child Migrants. 

The Find and Connect Support Services program delivers a range of targeted, trauma-informed services to individuals who were placed in children’s homes, orphanages, and other forms of out-of-home ‘care’ between the 1920s and 1990s.

It has helped over 21,000 individuals access services like specialist counselling, referral services, peer support, education, group sessions, and social support programs. 

Find and Connect services play a vital role in assisting people to access their historical records to reconnect with family, to apply for the National Redress Scheme for Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, or state and territory government redress schemes. 

Building on the government’s annual commitment of $5 million to the program, this additional funding will allow providers across Australia to meet increasing demands for services and advocacy for people affected by their time in out-of-home and institutional ‘care’.

To access Find and Connect Support Services, you can call 1800 16 11 09 or visit the Find and Connect Web Resource.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek

“Nothing will take away the pain experienced by children who grew up in institutions, orphanages and children’s homes, but helping to reconnect these adults with family members, or better understand their family history can have an enormous impact.

“Services like Find and Connect are vital. They help survivors uncover their history, trace and reclaim their identities, and build relationships with their families.”