There are some common threads that run through the journeys that Forgotten Australians, Care Leavers, the Stolen Generations, mothers coerced into giving up their baby and the struggle by adoptees to anchor their place in the World go through.

At the core it is possible to see that classism, racism and the imperatives of capitalism have driven so much of the visible (and more significantly) invisible policies and practices of the State and their agents, the Churches (or should that be the other way round?), when it comes to women and children.

On 25 September 2022 the Cuban people voted to amend the family code contained in their national constitution. As reported by Progressive International the amended Code “goes further than any legislation in the world, not only legalising same-sex marriage, but also guaranteeing the right of all people to form a family in any way they want. … Under the Code, parents will have ‘responsibility’ for, rather than ‘custody’ over children; corporal punishment will be illegal; and young adults will enjoy more freedoms. The Code enshrines domestic violence penalties and expands the working rights of full-time carers.”

I think Australia needs a similar Code - and organisations like CLAN, VANISH, Forgotten Australians and Donor Conceived Australia could be a collective force for good in pursuing such reforms. The oft repeated words ‘never again’ said about past experience, past practices need to be given a contemporary boost through a code or charter for Australia.