Thursday, August 30, 2012

The prospect of "parendectomy" - denying parents rights over their own child - has been raised several times in the $6 million probe due to make formal recommendations to the Newman Government by April.


How serious and genuine is a Queensland Liberal Party apology given be Premier Campbell Newman?   


Are we watching history repeat its self!
Decades of mothers were told they were incompedent resulting in forced adoption.
Babies should not be taken from their parents to "bond" with others.
History has shown us that this does not work.
 

Last week Premier Newman announced in Parliament, he would apologise to all people seperated by forced adoption in Queensland.
 
                                           One week later!
 
Now $6million is being spent on"parendectomy" - denying parents rights over their own child.

News

Child Protection Inquiry told that forced adoption of at-risk children should become 'an option  


Professor Clare Tilbury, a senior lecturer in the School of Human Services and Social Work at Griffith University, is the second professional to give qualified support to the proposal, which is already official public policy in several western countries.
Professor Tilbury agreed there was evidence that an early adoption allowed children to form an attachment to a responsible adult - a critical process for healthy emotional development.
But taking children off incompetent parents should not be the first option, she said.
"I think the consensus (among professionals) is that it should be an option, but it should not be the preferred option."
Professor Tilbury also warned adoption could simply be seen by the state as a way of saving money.
"I think it would be fair to say one of the reasons for adoption for law makers is they see it as a more cost effective option than long term care," she told the inquiry.
The prospect of "parendectomy" - denying parents rights over their own child - has been raised several times in the $6 million probe due to make formal recommendations to the Newman Government by April.
Legislation allowing officials to take children off incompetent parents and giving them up for adoption is already in place in Canada, England and the United States.
The process in some countries varies from traditional adoption in that the natural parents may still play a role in the child's life.
Corelle Davies, Brisbane-based Child Safety director, Queensland Health, said last week the idea of "stably placing and potentially adopting out younger children" appeared to be the most compassionate way of treating babies of teenage youths with no hope of being responsible parents.
Commissioner Tim Carmody has repeatedly made comments on forced adoptions during the inquiry, which has been taking evidence for more than two weeks.
"I think the consensus in the US is you either fix the families quickly or find new ones," Mr Carmody said this morning.
Ian Hanger, representing the Crown, said in some countries dysfunctional parents were given a window of opportunity to prove themselves.
"In England they give you two years to get your act together," he said.
Mr Hanger who cross examined Professor Tilbury this morning asked if she accepted there were some dysfunctional Queensland families who were never going to change their ways.
"Yes, absolutely," Professor Tilbury replied.
But Professor Tilbury said it was also "arguable" that if more and better targetted funding was provided families might more rapidly improve after the first or second notification of trouble.
"It is equally arguable that you are working with hopeless parents," Mr Hanger said.
"I would not characterise the parents as hopeless," Professor Tilbury replied.
The inquiry continues.
Courier Mail Brisbane 29/8/2012
Article by Michael Madigan.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Victoria Will Apologise for Forced Adoptions.

The Victorian apology will be made on October 25 in what is expected to be a joint sitting of the parliament.

Tasmania will Apologise for Forced Adoption.

The Tasmanian Parliament has set October 18th as the date for giving its formal
apology to the victims of forced adoptions in past decades.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Apology for Forced Adoption in Queensland

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/article/14649322/forced-adoption-victims
-welcome-apology/



That just leaves the Northern Territory ...

Premier Cambell Newman announced in Parliament this Morning, Thursday 23rd August, Queensland will Apologise for Forced Adoption Practices.

This morning in Queensland, Premier Campbell Newman announced that Queensland would apologise for Forced Adoption practices.
The date has not been announced but will be given in the House.
Congratulations to Everyone. It will be indeed a day of celebration!!!!!
Brisbane Times have Premier Newman's speech on line now. Thursday 1.30pm

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Mothers Who Were in Church Of England Unmarried Mother's Homes In Queensland. We would Like To Hear From You.

Mother's who were in Church of England Unmarried Mothers Homes in Queensland  believe we deserve an apology.
You can  make your request directly to the Director of Professional Standards, Brisbane , ph 3835 2266.

We are organising a protest march at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane and we need your support. Contact Trish or Marg  on 0417 077 159 ; 0402 336 480 if you can join us.

You would be welcome to march with us if you are from any church homes.

The illegal treatment and bullying mothers received while in these church homes need to be addressed.

It seems that each Diocese responsibility to issue their own apology and have to be approached individually.

New South Wales Is Joining The Other States With An Apology For Forced Adoption Policies And Practices, Why Not Queensland?

In Queensland we have listened to all the other States of Australia apologise to mothers, fathers ,babies,(now Adults) and the extended families for the traumatic and illegal  policies and practices of forced adoption.
In May 2009, Queensland's Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital was the first apology in Australia and we believe the world to acknowledge the trauma caused by their adoption practices.
Since then the Queensland Government has done nothing!

ALAS has spent many years working with the then Minister for Child Safety, Phil Reeves towards an apology with an  outcome that Premier Anna Bligh would give Queensland an apology after the results of the Senate Inquiry.

 With the change of government, ALAS approached the  Minister for Child Safety, Hon. Tracy Davis about an apology and she knew very little of the Senate Inquiry or the recommendations from this inquiry.

This morning we phoned the Premiers office, The Attorney General's office in regards to a Queensland Apology and were told that it wasn't their department that we had to speak to the minister for Child Safety, Tracy Davis.

In other words, we are getting the "run around again".

If you want to see a Queensland Apology please contact the Minister for Child Safety, Hon. Tracy Davis. Ph. 07 3235 4280 .
It is a disgrace that Queensland does not show the same respect to all the people affected by adoption as the other States have done.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Forced Adoption Apology

THE HON NICOLA ROXON MP
Attorney-General
Minister for Emergency Management
MEDIA RELEASE
17 August 2012
REAL STORIES MATTER IN FORCED ADOPTION APOLOGY
People directly affected by forced adoption practices are being asked for their views on what the national apology should say through the Australian Government’s Forced Adoption Apology Reference Group.
The first meeting of the Reference Group took place yesterday in Parliament House and was chaired by Hon Nahum Mushin, former Family Court Judge and Adjunct Professor of Law at Monash University.
“It’s important that the people who have been directly affected by forced adoption have the opportunity to have their say about the apology,” said Attorney-General Nicola Roxon.
“I can’t even begin to imagine what these mothers, fathers and their now adult children have endured, but what I can do is provide an opportunity for them to have a say in how the Government frames the apology.”
The Attorney-General attended the first meeting of the Reference Group today, with the Group including individuals affected by forced adoptions along with members of Parliament.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Reference Group, along with many others affected, whose brave contributions to this matter have raised the attention of a nation.”
Suggestions for the development of the apology can be made to the Reference Group by emailing forcedadoptionsapology@ag.gov.au
For all media enquiries, please contact the Attorney-General’s Office on 02 6277 7300 or 0409 945 476
Apology Reference Group members
Professor Nahum Mushin
Chair of Reference Group
Senator Rachel Siewert
Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee on the Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices
Senator Claire Moore
Deputy Chair of the Community Affairs References Committee on the Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices
Senator Sue Boyce
Member of the Community Affairs References Committee on the Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices
Mr Graham Perrett MP
Chair of the Social Policy & Legal Affairs Committee
Elizabeth Brew
Committee member of Origins Inc., Mother.
Christine Cole
Convenor of Apology Alliance, Mother
Kathryn Rendell
National Council of Single Mothers and their Children, Mother
Leigh Hubbard
Chair of Vanish Inc., Adoptee.
Gary Coles
Father, who has written extensively about the impact of adoption on fathers
Paul Howes
National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, Adoptee

Australian Institute of Family Studies

 Dear Stakeholder Advisory Group members,

 It's with great pleasure that I write this email to inform you that the Past Adoption Experiences Final Report has been endorsed for release by the Ministers and can be accessed on the AIFS website. Hard copies are going to be printed as well in the coming weeks, but I will be in touch to let you know when this happens.

 We hope that the report will meet the expectations of all those who have put so much time and energy into assisting with the project to date, and indeed all of the many thousands of individuals whom this project is for and about.

Again, many thanks for your time and commitment.

Web: www.aifs.gov.au

ALAS sends our Thanks to Pauline Kenny.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Apology From Legislative Assembly for ACT/Forced Adoptions

http://on-demand.parliament.act.gov.au/speeches
Apology 14th August 2012.

Hurts of forced adoption must now be healed.

12 August 2012.
IT'S a national scandal, affecting thousands of Australians, that until recently was spoken of only in hushed tones.
While it is sometimes claimed that those involved in the forced adoptions of babies from unwed mothers in the 1950s to 1970s thought they were doing the right thing, the true extent of this cruel chapter in our history is only now beginning to be revealed.

A Senate committee report into the issue earlier this year opened a window into the true extent of the cruelty dished out, including birth certificates marked for adoption against the mother's will, and women drugged with sedatives and pressured to sign adoption papers and later denied information about the fate of their children.

On Tuesday the ACT will join Western Australia, South Australia and soon Tasmania in making a formal apology to both the women and children affected by the so-called coercive adoption practices meted out to an estimated 150,000 mothers around the country.
The federal government also recently indicated its intention to make a national apology on the issue and has established a reference group to advise on the timing and form that apology should take.
It has taken more than half a century, and even today some victims are only now making contact with their lost children. For many, a national apology cannot come soon enough, as thousands of Australians continue to suffer. Yet an apology on its own is not enough.
Many women, and their adult children, continue to battle the significant cost and bureaucratic red tape involved in tracking the birth families. It is a long, difficult and sometimes expensive battle to unearth the truth.

If the federal government is serious about righting the wrongs of the past, and bringing some form of closure for those affected, its planned apology must go further than just the symbolic.
It should include financial assistance to help those seeking the truth, a determination to collect, centralise and make available important historical records to those who have a birthright to see them and special counselling services to assist those still traumatised by their forced separation.
There is much the federal bureacracy can do to help these people find and recover records, especially with the state and territory based apologies showing a real willingness to help those affected.
Governments can assist the healing process by taking important steps like apologising. The importance of doing so, and the impact it can have on victims, should not be underestimated.


Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/hurts-of-forced-adoption-must-now-be-healed-20120811-2419p.html#ixzz23Uu0tQtZ

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Meeting 11th August 2012

Our next meeting is a north Brisbane meeting.
 It will be held at a private home.
Please contact; Trish mob. 0417 077 159 for details.

!2 o'clock onwards.
Please bring a plate to share.
Gold coin donation.