Please contact the Freedom of Information Team at the Department for Child Protection:
Phone: (08) 8226 4399
Postal address: Ground Floor, Building 2, 300 Richmond Road, Netley SA 5037
Email: DCP.FOI@sa.gov.au
Website, Out-of-Home Care information: https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/research-and-publications/freedom-information/provision-information-care-leavers
Website, Adoptions information: https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/support-and-guidance/adoption-processes/applying-for-adoption-information
Quote this number to access your records: State Records of South Australia Agency ID, GRG27 & GRG29
These records are held by State Records of South Australia (1919 - current).
State Records of South Australia holds many records of correspondence written to or by the Social Welfare Departments and its predecessors. The records were kept by the State departments responsible for child and social welfare. The records include details about children, including references to children being committed to State care, foster and institutional placements or transfers, maintenance payments for children, appeals from parents for the return of their children, medical treatment of children, and correspondence with non-government children’s Homes. Some later (c.1970s) files from the Department for Aboriginal Affairs are also included in this collection.
Access to these records is restricted for 100 years in order to protect personal privacy. Many of these records are still restricted, while others are open and can be viewed by any member of the public. People mentioned in these records have a right to access information about themselves. To request access to restricted records please contact the Department for Child Protection Freedom of Information team. To arrange access to open records please contact State Records of South Australia.
Correspondence files (‘SCD’ files) – State Children’s Department, 1887-1927 (GRG27/1)
This series includes information about children in the care of the department, including references to the maintenance of state wards, placement of children, suitability of foster homes, absconded state wards, applications by parents for the return of children, applications by state wards for their wages etc. Titles for some older files are available under the ‘Consignment’ heading at the bottom of the State Records of South Australia page, and sometimes include the names of children, parents, foster carers, and employers of children.
Letters sent to the Chief Secretary and Under Secretary – State Children’s Council 1892-1896 (GRG27/3)
Letters sent – State Children’s Department, 1906-1906 (GRG27/2)
Index to letters sent, 1924-1940 (GRG29/9)
Correspondence of the Relief Branch, 1927-1931 (GRG29/10)
Letters sent by the Relief Branch, 1930-1940 (GRG29/8)
Correspondence on free school books, 1945-1950 (GRG29/94)
Letters Sent, 1947-1947 (GRG29/7)
Correspondence files – Office of the Minister of Social Welfare, 1966-1970 (GRG29/167)
General correspondence – Residential Child Care Committee, chronological series, 1974-1974 (GRS/714)
General correspondence files – Children’s Interest Bureau, Department of Human Services, 1982-2004 (GRS/8780)