Acknowledgement and Apology

Child & Family Services Ballarat acknowledges its association with the former organisations "Ballarat Orphanage" (1865-1968) and "Ballarat Children's Homes" (1968-1998). Those organisations provided care for children, including children from indigenous backgrounds, known as "the Stolen Generation".

Child & Family Services Ballarat is committed to ensuring that children in our care today and families and individuals who use our services today receive the best care possible. Our commitment to the former Ballarat Orphanage and Ballarat Children's Homes residents carries with it a further commitment to assist former residents and their families to come to terms with their time in care and to do what we can to heal any hurts from the past.

While many former residents report positive experiences, others did not receive the care and nurturing that is the right of every child. Child & Family Services Ballarat deeply regrets the hurt experienced by some children in those institutions. To any former residents who were abused or who were emotionally or socially damaged or to any child who lived in fear or distress during their time in Ballarat Orphanage or in Ballarat Children's Homes, we express our unreserved apology for any such mistreatment.

At the same time, we acknowledge and honour the efforts of those former staff and volunteers of the institutions who did their best for children in residence, and the positive influences they were able to achieve.

We invite all former residents of those organisations who wish to do so to contact Child & Family Services Ballarat through the Heritage Service and let us know if we are able to assist you today. We will listen to your story and offer you a personal apology if you were hurt in care. We are able to offer some limited personal counselling and will assist you to explore those former organisations' records of your time in care that we may hold.

Signed: Liz Baker, President Child and Family Services Ballarat Inc

Kevin Zibell, Chief Executive Officer, Child and Family Services Ballarat Inc

October, 2005

Our Vision: Wellbeing, respect and safety for all children and families

Our Mission: Our mission is to strengthen and empower individuals, families and communities in order to heal from the oppression of disadvantage, alienation from culture and social connections and the trauma of abuse and violence

185

employees working at CAFS
to help strengthen and
empower individuals, families
and communities

2,386

phone calls received
for family support
for the year ended
30 June 2011

$3.75m

in client debts written off
by creditors such as banks
and utilities
with CAFS help

CAFS Values

Flexibility: Being adaptable to changing circumstances in the workplace, prioritising work, addressing what is most important and taking advantage of new and emerging opportunities.

Resilience: The capacity to recover from setbacks, overcome obstacles and impediments, and the ability to learn from experience and identify areas for self development.

Client/Member focused: Prioritising the needs of clients and members, aiming for best outcomes for clients and members, being focused on the outcome and following through with commitments.

Inclusive: Recognising the rights of others, being committed to social justice and social inclusion, making equitable decisions and respecting and valuing difference and diversity in all its forms.

Ethical: High standards of personal integrity, being truthful and reflecting expected standards of behaviour consistent with the CAFS Code of Conduct and professional Codes of Ethics.

Collaborative: Working with others to achieve common goals, engendering a spirit of teamwork, listening actively, inspiring confidence and demonstrating empathy when confronted with adversity.