Tasmanian mothers affected by historical forced adoption practices can now apply for a $10,000 payment under an interim redress scheme before the scheme officially begins in the middle of the year.
The program is designed to assist those with urgent or exceptional needs while the state government finalises the full Historical Forced Adoption Redress Scheme (HFARS).
The Huon News recently published an article on the redress scheme (Too little, too late? 04/02) highlighting the failing health and increasing age of the women traumatised by the government sanctioned scheme between 1950 and 1988.
The interim payment is available to mothers who were Tasmanian residents and gave birth in Tasmania before the end of 1988, who can demonstrate urgent need due to serious illness, financial distress or other exceptional circumstances.
The $10,000 payment will be deducted from any final amount granted under the full scheme.
It remains unclear whether a successful application for the interim payment establishes an entitlement to the full redress payment.
Andrea Sdrinis, the lawyer involved in the case, welcomed the interim payment announcement, particularly considering the advanced age of many of her clients and the long time they had been awaiting recognition.
“Whilst completing the [application] form will be difficult for some applicants who will find it triggering, the government has made a reasonable attempt to require only key information to establish an entitlement.
“The scheme also offers assistance to claimants in completing the forms which is very important.”
However, the requirement that there needs to be evidence of the adoption happening within 30 days of the birth, leaves women whose forced adoptions occurred after 30 days in a grey area.
Ms Sdrinis describes this as ‘an arbitrary cut off point which we do not support.”
It is also unclear if receiving the interim payment could be a barrier to potentially pursuing civil action.
For more information or to apply, contact the Historical Forced Adoptions Redress Secretariat at hfars@justice.tas.gov.au or phone 03 6165 4802.
