From the FaHCSIA website, the following information about the Find and Connect Service Report. This is a significant funding commitment from the Government that will have impacts on many archives of all sizes:
"A National Find and Connect Service that will provide Australia-wide coordinated family tracing and support services for care leavers to locate personal and family history files and the reunite with members of their families, where that is possible. The service will provide a national database that will collate and index existing state identified records into a national searchable data base, accessible to state and other care leaver services and also directly to care leavers themselves. The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs announced funding of $26.5 million for the service in the 2010-11 Budget.
FaHCSIA commissioned consultants (Encompass Family and Community Pty Ltd) to undertake an independent scoping study to provide recommendations for a workable model for the new Find and Connect service. The consultants have recommended a model that involves:
- National strategic leadership through an administration body contracted by FaHCSIA to provide a national service which administers the website and the 1800 number, and includes two liaison and development units – a ‘records management’ unit and a ‘national standards’ unit
- State-based localised service delivery, through Find and Connect support services funded through FaHCSIA, integrated as part of a network which includes existing state-funded services. These may include new services in areas of unmet need, capacity-building of existing services, and individual positions attached to existing generalist services
- Localised specialist counselling positions, available through the use of brokerage funds where necessary
- Partnership with the units of state and territory departments and instrumentalities responsible for the historical and personal records of care leavers, and partnership with past providers, through state and territory peak bodies and national church bodies. It is anticipated that state and territory departments would play key roles in liaising with past providers within their state
- Partnership with care leaver representative groups as user representatives in an advisory role.
The consultants’ report is now available elsewhere on the FaHCSIA website
The Government is considering how best to implement the new Find and Connect service, based on the recommendations made by the consultants. FaHCSIA will continue to work with care leaver organisations and state and territory agencies in implementing the new service.
It is anticipated that FaHCSIA will advertise for service provider(s) to operate the new Find and Connect service by the end of 2010.
New information will be posted to this page as we move through the implementation phases."
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