National Find and Connect Service
Jenny Macklin, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, has released details of the first phase of the national investment in the Find and Connect Service. The Find and Connect Service will help Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants access support and counselling, locate and access personal, family and historical records, and to reconnect with family where possible.
The Pathways website, which relates to resources in the state of Victoria, has been chosen as the model for a new national web resource for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants. A team from the University of Melbourne and the Australian Catholic University will be developing a database for each state and territory, bringing together information about records, institutions, people, policies and events.
As with the Pathways website, we will be relying on the input from members of the public, current and past providers of out-of-home care and various cultural institutions to make the new databases as comprehensive and relevant as possible. A number of state-based researchers will be on the ground to gather information and capture the local knowledge and expertise so that the new Find and Connect web resource can help Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants to reconnect with their past.