- Cook Government responds to Broken Bonds, Fractured Lives: Report on the Inquiry into Past Forced Adoption in Western Australia
- WA Government supports the majority of the recommendations to address the impact of past forced adoptions
- Western Australian Forced Adoption Reference Group to be established
The Cook Government's response to the findings and recommendations of Report 66, Broken Bonds, Fractured Lives: Report on the Inquiry into Past Forced Adoption in Western Australia has been tabled in Parliament today.
The response to the inquiry recognises the strength and resilience of the many mothers, fathers, adopted people and their families who shared their experiences throughout the inquiry.
This inquiry has been an important opportunity for people impacted by forced adoption in Western Australia to be heard, recognised and to have their experiences publicly recorded.
Report 66 made 39 recommendations, of which 36 were directed to Government across themes including support services, access to information, legislative amendments and redress.
The Cook Government is pleased to support or support in-principle majority of the recommendations.
As an immediate response, the State Government will establish the Western Australian Forced Adoption Reference Group to guide the implementation of recommendations such as improved access to information, mental health supports, and relevant legislative changes.
The reference group will include people with lived experience such as mothers, fathers, adopted people and adoptive parents, representatives from community sector organisations and peer-support advocacy groups.
A public Expression of Interest process for the reference group will open today.
Other supported recommendations include improving access to adoption information and records, the introduction of integrated birth certificates, improvements to public awareness, service design improvements, and the repeal of contact and mediation licences.
Further consideration will be given to 14 recommendations from the inquiry, including the establishment of a redress scheme.
The Cook Government recognises that for many people, redress signifies an important step in the formal recognition of their experience, to hold responsible agencies and institutions to account, and to support healing.
To view the full response to Report 66 or for further information on the reference group, please visit here www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/historical-forced-adoptions .
As stated by Child Protection Minister Sabine Winton:
"On behalf of the Cook Government, I acknowledge the extraordinary courage and determination of the many mothers, fathers, adopted people, their families and support services who provided submissions and evidence to the inquiry.
"On 19 October 2010, the Parliament of Western Australia was the first in Australia to apologise for the removal of children from unmarried mothers. However, as this inquiry has demonstrated, we have much more work to do.
"The Cook Government is supporting the majority of the recommendations from the inquiry, including establishing a Western Australian Forced Adoptions Reference Group.
"The Government is committed to ensuring people with lived experience of forced adoption have a key role in driving change and informing the legislation, policies, practices and services that impact them."
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"The Government response is an acknowledgement of the wrongs of the past and a commitment to meaningful change.
"We will commence work to urgently implement Integrated Birth Certificates and improve access to information for people with lived experience."
