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20th Anniversary - Gay Thompson Address

I would firstly like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting, the Kaurna people.

I would also like to acknowledge:

The founders of ARMS South Australia - Anne Sharely and Harrison Anderson; The first Chairperson and Life Member of ARMS South Australia - Sue Barnes: and Life Members of ARMS South Australia - Maureen Craig and Pam Longley, and a warm welcome to all of you.

The Hon. Stephanie Key MP in her capacity as Minister for Social Justice and the Minister for the Status of Women sends her sincere apologies for not being able to attend today but I am so pleased that she has asked me to speak on her behalf.

I am sure that you would all agree that it is a significant achievement for ARMS South Australia to have been operating and extending its services to women for 20 years. I feel privileged to be able to share this special anniversary with you.

I am told that ARMS South Australia was founded by Anne Sharley and Harrison Anderson as a result of an overwhelming response received from a phone-in after the third National Conference on Adoption which was held in Adelaide in 1982. I am sure that many mothers and children would like to thank these two women for their efforts.

In 1986 when ARMS South Australia had been in existence for three years as a self help support group for natural mothers of adopted children, it involved itself in a research project, together with Flinders Medical Centre under Dr. John Condon, into the pain and grief suffered by natural mothers when separated from their children.

The project acknowledged that natural mothers had specific issues that needed to be recognised.

I think it is safe to say that the publication of the project gave the group a better sense of legitimacy and it felt that it could achieve a lot in the sphere of adoption. As a result, ARMS members began lobbying for legislative change.

In 1998 this legislative change was realised when the South Australian Government introduced a new Adoption Act which allowed natural mothers, as well as adopted children over the age of 18 access to adoption records.

I am pleased that South Australia was the first state in Australia to allow this access to natural mothers.

These legislative changes paved the way for adopted children to be reunited with their natural mothers after many years and I am sure that there are several moving reunion stories that could be told by each in this room today.

Organisations such as ARMS South Australia must be acknowledged for assisting in bringing about the changes regarding adoption that we have seen over the past 20 years.

In 1989, after the legislative changes commenced, ARMS South Australia was first given state government funding.

This funding has assisted in the delivery of services such as counselling and support groups for natural mothers of adopted children, mediation in the exchange of information and relationship building, advocacy to access information and services and community education about issues for natural mothers. It has also allowed the employment of two part-time staff, a professional counsellor and an office support worker.

It is pleasing to state that this government funding continues up to this day through the Department of Human Services.

It is gratifying to know that the changes brought about by the new legislation and the activities of those people who allowed the voices of natural mothers and adopted people to be heard, have been significant. These changes have meant that parents who are considering placing their children for adoption are able to gain considerable support, counselling and good information to enable them to make the best decision for them and their children.

In addition, natural mothers who have suffered from pain and grief for many years due to losing their children to adoption have support to alleviate some of this suffering and can be informed as to their rights as a natural mother.

I thank you again for inviting me to speak here tonight and I wish you all and the organisation the very best.

Gay Thompson MP

 

© 2001 ARMS