"Thousands of children were forcibly removed by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be raised in institutions, fostered out or adopted by non-Indigenous families, nationally and internationally. They are known as the Stolen Generations.

The exact number of children who were removed may never be known but there are very few families who have been left unaffected — in some families children from three or more generations were taken. The removal of children broke important cultural, spiritual and family ties and has left a lasting and intergenerational impact on the lives and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Affecting anywhere from 1 in 10 to 1 in 3 children, there is not a single Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community who has not been forever changed."

"The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) was established nationally in the early 1980s. It is intended to guide child protection services to strengthen Aboriginal children's connections with their family, community and cultural identity and recognise their right to their own heritage, customs, community and institutions. The Principle outlines a preference that, if Aboriginal children are to be placed outside their families, they should be with other Aboriginal people. The order of preference is generally that an Aboriginal child be placed within the child's extended family; within the child's Aboriginal community; and, failing that, with other Aboriginal people. The ATSICPP became part of New South Wales law with the Children (Care and Protection) Act 1987, the Community Welfare Act 1987 and the Adoption Information Act 1990."

"Bringing Them Home is the 1997 Australian Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. The report marked a pivotal moment in the controversy that has come to be known as the Stolen Generations. The inquiry was established by the federal Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch, on 11 May 1995, in response to efforts made by key Indigenous agencies and communities concerned that the general public's ignorance of the history of forcible removal was hindering the recognition of the needs of its victims and their families and the provision of services. The 680-page report was tabled in Federal Parliament on 26 May 1997. The Bringing them Home report included 54 recommendations to support healing and reconciliation for the Stolen Generations, their families and the Australian public more broadly." 

"The National Apology was an historic acknowledgement of the wrongs done to the Stolen Generations. It was a significant step towards building a respectful new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The impact of the Apology is evidence of the importance of historical acceptance, which is one of the five dimensions we use to describe and measure reconciliation. Historical acceptance is not just about accepting and understanding our shared history and its ongoing impacts – it’s about making sure that Australia does what is necessary to ensure past wrongs are never repeated."