New report shows long-term disadvantage for Australia’s Stolen Generations
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stolen Generations and descendants: numbers, demographic characteristics and selected outcomes
Today the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released Australia’s first demographic and policy impact study of the Stolen Generations and their descendants.
Commissioned by The Healing Foundation, this report for the first time provides comprehensive data to illustrate the direct link between the forced removal of tens of thousands of children from their families and the real life symptoms of trauma across our families and communities, for example:
- 67% live with a disability or restrictive long-term condition,
- 70% rely on government payments as their main source of income, and
- 40% have experienced homelessness in the past 10 years.
This data is a demonstration of the lived experience of our Stolen Generations and the pain they have had to endure over a lifetime, which they have bravely and repeatedly detailed in over 19 reports. Twenty one years on from the tabling of the Bringing Them Home Report there has still not been a comprehensive policy response.
The report is part of an ongoing needs analysis being led by The Healing Foundation, and involving Stolen Generations groups from around Australia. The data is being used to determine priorities for future strategies and services, as part of our Action Plan for Healing. This work was funded by the Federal Government last year and we are hopeful that it will result in the action that is desperately needed to break the trauma cycle and create healing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
I have no doubt that the information contained here will help build a broader understanding of the issues that have been created for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through actions like the forced removal of children from their families. And a better understanding is the first step to creating meaningful change.
Here is the link to the report and a summary of the key findings. Please share this information with your networks. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our work and we look forward to furthering our conversation about the future work needed to support our Stolen Generations members, their descendants and communities.
Regards,
The Healing Foundation
Link to report: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/indigenous-australians/stolen-generations-descendants/contents/table-of-contents
Link to summary of key findings: https://healingfoundation.org.au/app/uploads/2018/08/HF_Stolen_Gererations_2Page_Infographics_Aug2018_V1.pdf
