Catholic Health Australia (CHA) has endorsed a key recommendation of the Senate Inquiry report into past adoption practices that proposes a national apology, the organisation said in a statement.
CHA is also calling on state and territory government community services ministers to adopt the Senate's action plan when they meet on March 30.
CHA chief executive officer Martin Laverty said he is pleased that many of the recommendations his organisation made to the Inquiry have been embraced because "we think they are concrete steps that can help those affected by past adoption practices move towards healing."
Catholic Health Australia last year issued an apology to those "who carry broken hearts as a result of the role that some Catholic organisations played in this widespread, common public policy practice of years past".
Mr Laverty proposed to the community and disability service ministers of all states and territories a four-step plan to help progress the healing process for those affected by past adoption policies:
- A new nationally co-ordinated program involving all governments and non-government agencies involved in past adoptions to facilitate improved access to medical, birth and social work records;
- A national funding program supporting access to tailored counselling that is focused on the differing needs of mothers, fathers, adopted children, their siblings and parents who have cared for adopted children;
- A national process supported by all governments enabling those birth mothers with grievances about their birth experience or consent procedure that led to their child being adopted to have those grievances heard;
- A national apology supported by all governments, recognising that the Western Australian Government has already taken this step.
FULL STORY
National apology for past adoptions first step towards healing (Media Release)
Joint call for nation to apologise over forced adoptions (Sydney Morning Herald)
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