Aboriginal woman wins battle to keep baby after six court appearances

An Aboriginal woman has been allowed to return home with her baby after child protection services in Victoria made six attempts to overturn a court ruling that she was able to properly care for her child.

Advocates for the 28-year-old woman, who has foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FasD), said child protection workers for the Department of Health and Human Services did not appropriately consider her disability in its initial assessment declaring her an unfit parent, and have suggested the decision to remove the child was informed by prejudice.

More >> Aboriginal woman wins battle to keep baby after six court appearances

Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today

Indigenous children in Australia who live in families that experienced forced separations in much of the twentieth century are more likely than other Indigenous children to have poor health and negative school experiences, according to a landmark government report released this month.

As many as one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were taken from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s, under racist government policies that tried to force Aboriginal people to assimilate with white Australians. The children were brought up in institutions or foster homes, or were adopted by white families. The Australian government formally apologized to members of these ‘Stolen Generations’ in 2008.

More >> Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today

Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today

Indigenous children in Australia who live in families that experienced forced separations in much of the twentieth century are more likely than other Indigenous children to have poor health and negative school experiences, according to a landmark government report released this month.

As many as one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were taken from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s, under racist government policies that tried to force Aboriginal people to assimilate with white Australians. The children were brought up in institutions or foster homes, or were adopted by white families. The Australian government formally apologized to members of these ‘Stolen Generations’ in 2008.

More >> Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today

Can a sperm donor be a legal parent? In landmark decision, the High Court says yes

On Wednesday, the High Court handed down a landmark decision that confirmed parentage rights to a man who donated his sperm to a woman who wanted to have a child.

The ruling could impact thousands of couples and single women whose children were conceived with known sperm donors.

More >> Can a sperm donor be a legal parent? In landmark decision, the High Court says yes

• High Court decides status of sperm donor in landmark case

Turning local libraries, pools and playgroups into sites of surveillance – ParentsNext goes too far

Sydney Morning Herald reporter Jacqueline Maley evoked the spectre of the Orwellian surveillance state recently when discussing how library staff had been implicated in the ParentsNext program. Maley reported that private providers contracted to run the program phoned libraries or local pools to check on parents’ attendance.

The program aims to get parents “work-ready” after child-rearing. Single parents receiving the ParentsNext benefit are required to report their attendance at particular activities with their children to providers. Activities are based on an approved list, which includes storytime at a local library, swimming lessons, or a playgroup. Payments can be stopped for “not taking part in set activities”.

More >> Turning local libraries, pools and playgroups into sites of surveillance – ParentsNext goes too far

Yes, we are the Stolen Generations

Aaron Smale gives his personal account of being removed from his mother, and the legacy of loss and harm that reverberates through the generations

More >> Yes, we are the Stolen Generations

'Forced to sleep in shipping container': Perth girl claims adoptive parents abused her

A young girl claims she was beaten, abused and made to sleep in a shipping container for at least four months by her adoptive parents, a court has heard.

The Perth couple at the centre of the claims appeared in the WA District Court on Thursday, pleading not guilty to charges including deprivation of liberty and having control and care of a child and engaging in conduct that could result in the child’s suffering.

More >> 'Forced to sleep in shipping container': Perth girl claims adoptive parents abused her

‘Unwanted’ foster children being held in juvenile jail

The crisis surrounding the treatment of WA’s unwanted children has deepened with revelations authorities are using the State’s only juvenile jail to hold them because they cannot find a place for them to stay.

The West Australian has learnt two wards of the State remain locked up at Banksia Hill Detention Centre because there are no vacancies at any residential or community care homes in WA.

More >> ‘Unwanted’ foster children being held in juvenile jail

‘Unwanted’ foster children being held in juvenile jail

The crisis surrounding the treatment of WA’s unwanted children has deepened with revelations authorities are using the State’s only juvenile jail to hold them because they cannot find a place for them to stay.

The West Australian has learnt two wards of the State remain locked up at Banksia Hill Detention Centre because there are no vacancies at any residential or community care homes in WA.

More >> ‘Unwanted’ foster children being held in juvenile jail

Evil child welfare boss, 78, who raped children in a dungeon at his young women's institution will spend the rest of his life behind bars

The former boss of a young women's institution who raped and abused girls and boys in the 1970s will spend the rest of his natural life behind bars.

In Campbelltown District Court on Friday, Frank Valentine, 78, was sentenced to 22 years behind bars, with a non-parole period of 13 years for 21 historical offences.

Valentine's reign of terror started in 1971, less than a month after arriving to work at a Western Sydney institution.

More >> Evil child welfare boss, 78, who raped children in a dungeon at his young women's institution will spend the rest of his life behind bars

ACT child protection secrecy the 'most restrictive in the country'

Secrecy provisions relating to child welfare cases in ACT legislation are the most restrictive in the country and are working against those they're meant to protect, according to two Canberra barristers.

The convoluted legislation is more restrictive than in cases where it is crucial to protect an informant giving evidence in a trial against a murderer, a drug importer or a bikie gang, barrister Philip Walker, SC said.

More >> ACT child protection secrecy the 'most restrictive in the country'

'I'm a desperate father who just wants to see my little girl again' - dad's appeal after ex vanishes with daughter

An Australian yoga teacher whose ex-partner vanished with their three-year-old daughter after flying to Britain has appealed for help from anyone with links to "alternative communities".

Peter Uhd, 57, said he believes Victoria McKay, 43, and Ruby McKay-Uhd are living in a camper van.

More >> 'I'm a desperate father who just wants to see my little girl again' - dad's appeal after ex vanishes with daughter

Protesters march to NSW parliament against adoption laws

February 13, 2019. Protesters march from Sydney's Hyde Park to state parliament in a rally on the 11th anniversary of the National Apology to stolen generations. Kinchela Boys Home survivor Michael Welsh tears up as he speaks to the protest saying he was removed from his family when he was young and he is speaking out against new forced adoption laws to stop another generation going through the same pain. NSW Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services Tania Mihailuk says if the Labor government wins at the state election they will repeal the laws. Under the new laws, birth parents will have two years to be reinstated as primary carers before an alternative permanent home is found, in a bid to prevent children bouncing between families for years on end.

More >> Protesters march to NSW parliament against adoption laws

Parents Reminded To Be Careful On Social Media During Custody Battles

Parents are being reminded of the dangers of social media when it comes to custody battles, with some cases being impacted by emotional Facebook posts and secret filming of partners and children.

One instance that has come to light in cases is where custody has been lost due to inappropriate Facebook posts seeming to joke about violence.

More >> Parents Reminded To Be Careful On Social Media During Custody Battles

Woman denied document in bid to find dad

A young Victorian woman placed in foster care as an infant has been denied access to a government document she believes may contain the name of her birth father.

The woman was taken from her mother at three weeks and placed in permanent care. She only saw her twice and had limited letter correspondence with her before she died in 2017.

More >> Woman denied document in bid to find dad

Police officer jailed for attempting sexual relationship with teen in foster care

A policeman has been sentenced to 10 months' jail for attempting to have a sexual relationship with a teenager who was a ward of the state and who had sought his help.

Key points:
Gopinath met the girl when she asked him for a ride home from the police station
He sent 146 messages to the girl over the course of a month
After the girl told another officer about Gopinath's behaviour, he claimed she was trying to blackmail him

Vikram Gopinath, 29, from Mildura, pleaded guilty to attempting to procure a child of 16 or 17 for sex and one charge of misconduct in public office.

More >> Police officer jailed for attempting sexual relationship with teen in foster care

Elderly man who allegedly sexually abused foster daughter turned in by his partner

An elderly man who was charged this week with sexually assaulting his 10-year-old foster daughter was reported to the police by his de-facto partner.

Police allege that the 79-year-old sexually assaulted the 10-year-old girl he and his partner had been caring for over a period of months.

More >> Elderly man who allegedly sexually abused foster daughter turned in by his partner

Easing of adoption laws is not in the best interests of children

The recent release of the Federal Parliamentary Committee report on adoption is trying to conflate two important issues for Australia's vulnerable children: the historically low rate of adoptions and the rising number of children in out-of-home care nationwide.

More >> Easing of adoption laws is not in the best interests of children

Foster carer ‘Jenny’ speaks out about a system that just isn’t coping

A desperate foster carer has spoken out about a system that simply isn’t working.

Alan Jones spoke with ‘Jenny’, who cannot be named due to laws preventing the identification of foster carers.

More >> Foster carer ‘Jenny’ speaks out about a system that just isn’t coping

Adoption without parental consent legalised in NSW

New laws enabling the adoption of thousands of children from the state’s foster care system without parental consent were passed in the New South Wales parliament on Thursday night, despite fierce opposition from community organisations to the “regressive” changes they say will have a heavy impact on Aboriginal families.

More >> Adoption without parental consent legalised in NSW