The Cram Foundation was established in 1932 as the Wollongong and District Society for Crippled Children. In 1964 it changed its name to the Illawarra Society for Crippled Children.
As the Illawarra Society, it opened and operated Cram House, a disability institution for children which ran from 1975-2003. It also opened Bellambi Group Home, a group home for 4 people with disabilities, in 1991.
The Society was run as a company governed by a Board of Directors, primarily drawn from the local community.
A Community Services Commission Inquiry into conditions at Cram House led to a campaign for more funding for both Cram House and the Illawarra Society. While the initial operation of Cram House was severely criticised in the Commission’s report, the Commission also noted the swift and positive changes made by the Society as a result of the report (“Cram House Parents Tackle Bureaucrats”).
The Community Services Commission report also raised issues of governance, with potential conflicts of interest as some of the people who served on the Board of Directors were also involved in the provision of healthcare to Cram House residents.
In 1999 the organisation’s name was changed to the Cram Foundation.
Cram House was closed in 2003 with residents being moved into small group Homes run by the Cram Foundation.
The Cram Foundation continues today as a provider of specialist disability accommodation, including some group homes, for adults with disability.
From
1932
To
Current
Alternative Names
Wollongong and District Society for Crippled Children
Illawarra Society for Crippled Children
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