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On March 3, 2022 the Victorian Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme was launched by the State Government. VACCA and Link-Up Victoria will be supporting Victorian Stolen Generations (Aboriginal people who were removed from family in Victoria) access the Scheme.
We understand the following:
- $100K will be made available to Stolen Generations alongside a formal apology and healing supports
- The time period for removal must be before 1977 (prior to VACCA being established and the Racial Discrimination Act being ratified) and the act of removal must have been in Victoria. There are some provisions for applications from anyone who may have been removed from family after this time
- Applications open on 31st March and payments will start being made from June this year. Applications from Elders or Victorian Stolen Generations who suffer from serious illness will be prioritised for payment
- Stolen Generations who are currently incarcerated will be eligible for the scheme
- Senior members of the Victorian government will be providing an acknowledgement or apology as per the wishes of individual Stolen Generations applicants
- The family of Stolen Generations who have passed away since the scheme was announced in 2020 will be eligible to apply for reparations. Families will also be provided with access to counselling and other healing supports
- The Government has indicated an in-principle commitment to all the recommendations from the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme Steering Committee’s Final Report which has not been released as yet
For more information and to apply for the package from 31 March, please visit www.vic.gov.au/stolen-generations-reparations-package.
We understand that the announcement of the Scheme can bring up past traumas, and we encourage you to connect with support services including Link-Up Victoria, Connecting Home, and Yarning Safe and Strong - 1800 959 563
About Link-Up Victoria (www.linkupvictoria.org.au)
Link-Up Victoria provides support to the Stolen Generations, helping them to find and reunite with family, reconnect to culture, proudly walk their Country and reclaim their Aboriginal identity. Link-Up is the only service in Victoria to provide reunions for the Stolen Generations. These reunions help create connections to family, culture and Country to encourage healing and gives survivors a sense of who they are and where they belong. To access Link-Up Victoria’s services, visit www.linkupvictoria.org.au or call 1800 OUR MOB (687 662)
Date: 10 March 2022