Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency facts for kids
The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, often called VACCA, is an important organisation in Victoria, Australia. It was started by Aboriginal Australians in the 1970s. VACCA helps and speaks up for Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. It used to be known as the Aboriginal Child Placement Agency (ACPA). VACCA works to make sure Indigenous children and families are treated with respect for their culture. VACCA also helped show the serious challenges faced by the Stolen Generations.
How VACCA Started
The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) began in 1976. This happened after many talks at a big meeting about adoption that year. Mollie Dyer was a key person at this meeting. There was also growing pressure from the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. They saw a strong link between Indigenous children being taken from their families and facing many problems later in life.
VACCA became a great example for other Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies across Australia. It worked with people in other states to help these new agencies succeed.
A National Voice for Children
Because of these state-based agencies, a special meeting was held in Melbourne in 1979. It was called the 'First Aboriginal Child Survival Seminar'. From this meeting, the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) was created in 1981. SNAICC is a national group that works for the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.
