Who Am I? Project
The Who am I? Project is an innovative, multi-disciplinary project investigating the role of archives as central to quality practice for current and past care leavers (Forgotten Australians). Engaging a team comprising archivists, historians, social workers and past and present careleavers, this project will utilise digital archiving and record keeping technologies to facilitate the process of identity formation for careleavers.
Its double lens responds to the recommendations of the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee Report, Forgotten Australians, by looking both backwards and forwards, and builds a contextual archive that interconnects current records, archives and publications and identifies improved strategies for current and future record keeping.
The following organisations are involved in this project through cash and in-kind contributions, coordinated through the Centre:
Wesley Mission, Mackillop Family Services, Glastonbury Child and Family Services, Good Shepherd Youth and Family Services, Berry Street Victoria, Anglicare Victoria, Orana Family Services, Kildonan Child and Family Services, St Luke’s Anglicare, Child and Family Services Ballarat, VANISH, and the Centre.
The Department of Human Services and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) are the other project partners in this project. Funding has also been received from the Australian Research Council through a linkage grant for three years.
The project is led by Prof Cathy Humphreys, the Alfred Felton Chair of Child and Family Welfare. Prof. Humphreys is assisted in this project by an academic team comprising Prof Shurlee Swain, Australian Catholic University; Mr Gavan McCarthy, University of Melbourne; and Dr. Andrew Brown-May, University of Melbourne.