Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2010 | Page 7

Recognising the

Forgotten Australians

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Forgotten Australians are adults who grew up in institutional care . It is estimated that there are 500,000 Forgotten Australians , many of whom suffered shocking and prolonged abuse .
Until recently , there was little public recognition of the violence and abuse done to these children . Following sustained advocacy by Forgotten Australians , former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull , former Leader of the
Opposition , gave a public apology in Canberra on 16 November 2009 . This was a critical first step .
The Victorian Government allocated $ 7M over three years to establish a support service for people who had grown up in Victorian institutions .
In partnership with Relationships Australia Victoria , Berry Street secured the tender and has established Open Place . The Hon Lisa Neville , MP ( Minister for Community Services ) opened the new service on 18 March 2010 .
It is a welcoming place for Forgotten Australians to drop in , access counselling , join a support group , learn new life skills and / or access brokerage funds to help with medical needs .
For more information on Open Place , phone 1800 779 379 or visit the website www . openplace . org . au .
Through our own Heritage and Background Information Service , we dealt with over 100 enquiries from people wanting information about their past .