The Department of Communities is establishing the Western Australian Forced Adoption Reference Group to ensure people with lived experience have a central role in shaping the legislation, policies and practices that impact them.
The Forced Adoption Reference Group (Reference Group) will include mothers, fathers, adopted people, adoptive parents, local peer support groups, and community sector organisations with professional expertise in forced adoption. Membership is open to people whose forced adoption took place in WA, and who are currently residing in WA.
The experience and insight of members will help inform the WA Government’s implementation of the recommendations of Report 66 - Broken Bonds, Fractured Lives: Report on the Inquiry into Past Forced Adoption in Western Australia (Inquiry Report) tabled in the WA Parliament on 22 August 2024.
Consistent with the Terms of Reference of the Parliamentary Inquiry, membership will be open to individuals involved in an adoption in Western Australia between the years 1939 to 1980 and will be based on an individual’s self-identification as having experienced a forced adoption.
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 140KB) provides more information about the establishment of the Reference Group.
If you would like to express an interest in being part of the Reference Group, please complete the following lived experience online nomination form
If you are seeking to express an interest as a representative from a support group or sector organisation, please complete the support group and sector nomination form: Western Australian Forced Adoption Reference Group - Support group & sector nomination form
Expressions of interest are open until 31 January 2025.
An optional online information session about the establishment of the group will be held on Tuesday 3rd December 2024 at 4.00 pm. More details about this event will be posted shortly.
The Reference Group will not be the only forum for Government consultation and communication and will be complemented by other stakeholder engagement processes.
The Forced Adoption Inquiry Implementation Team are happy to speak with you or provide more information about:
- the Reference Group
- the Expression of Interest process
- accessing support while submitting an expression of interest
- requesting hard-copy information and or an expression of interest form to be sent by mail
- registering your interest in the online information session or
- registering your interest in updates on the progress of the Reference Group or other opportunities that may arise for consultation.
Please contact the team on 0403 137 530 or via forcedadoptionsinquiry@communities.wa.gov.au.
