Australian Government

Since 1997 the Australian Government has been committed to bringing to light the harm suffered by Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants in Australian institutions in the last century, and to providing support and reparation for the impact of their experiences.

The Government funds the Find and Connect service to help Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants throughout Australia to trace and reclaim their identities, restore relationships with their families where possible, come to terms with their past and help build a positive future. The Find and Connect service is operated in Queensland through Lotus Place.

To access the service, please contact Lotus Place or visit Find and Connect Australia's website.

Timeline of significant national events for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants

Year	Event
1997	Bringing them Home: National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their families
2001	Lost Innocents Senate Inquiry
2004	Forgotten Australians Report
2005	Protecting Vulnerable Children: A National Challenge
2009	Report on the progress with the implementation of the recommendations of the Lost Innocents and Forgotten Australians Reports
2009	National Apology: Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivers an apology to the more than 500,000 people who as children were placed in care in an orphanage, home, or other form of out of home care during the last century.
2012	Find and Connect Services launched to improve access to family tracing and support services for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants
2012	Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
2012	National Oral History project is launched by the National Library of Australia to record the experiences of Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants
2018	National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse is introduced

For more information please contact Lotus Place.