There are many child sex abuse support services around Australia offering various types of guidance, advice, and counselling to child abuse survivors. While this list is far from exhaustive, many of these groups can provide details about further state and locally-based support services.
National Support Services
- 1800 RespectNational counselling helpline, information and support.
Phone: 1800 737 732
Available: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Adults Surviving Child Abuse Professional short-term counselling support, referrals for ongoing support and support and guidance for engaging with the Royal Commission. Also provides educational workshops for survivors of child abuse.
Phone: 1300 657 380 (9am-5pm AEST/AEDT 7 days)
Available: 9am-5pm (AEST/AEDT), 7 days.
- Alliance for Forgotten Australians Formed in 2006, the Alliance for Forgotten Australians promotes the interests of the estimated 500,000 people who experienced institutional or other out-of-home care as children, many of whom suffered physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse while in ‘care’.
The AFA does not provide direct support services to Forgotten Australians.
Phone: 0488 460 646
Email: admin@forgottenaustralians.org.au
- Bravehearts In addition to child safety advocacy, Bravehearts operates a support line to assist survivors and their families with any queries pertaining to the Royal Commission or child sexual assault generally.
Phone: 1800 272 831
Available: 8am-8pm (AEST)
- Care Leavers Australasia NetworkCare Leavers Australasia Network is a support, advocacy, research and training network for people who grew up in Australian orphanages, children’s homes, foster care and other institutions. In addition to phone counselling, CLAN offers free face-to-face counselling in NSW and Victoria.
Phone: 1800 008 774
Available: 9am-5pm (AEST/AEDT), Monday-Friday
- Child Migrant TrustRetrieval of personal documents from government departments, family record tracing, and professional counselling services specifically for former child migrants. Child Migrant Trust also provides support to child migrants involved in the Royal Commission.
Phone: 1800 04 05 09
Available: Business hours, Monday-Friday
- ChildWiseThe Starting Point helpline provides safe and anonymous support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. ChildWise also provides guidance to survivors in engaging with the Royal Commission.
Phone: 1800 99 10 99
Available: 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- Find and Connect A Federal Government initiative to help Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants understand more about their past. Find and Connect also offers support services.
Phone: 1800 16 11 09
Available: 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- LifelineCrisis support and suicide prevention.
Phone: 13 11 14
Available: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- MensLine AustraliaSupport and information services for men.
Phone: 1300 78 99 78
Available: 24 hours, 7 days
- Wings For SurvivorsWings For Survivors is an online community created in 2007 by Forgotten Australians for Forgotten Australians.
Email: wingsforsurvivors@gmail.com to request to become a member of Wings For Survivors
Support Services in the Australian Capital Territory
- Victims Support ACT Counselling, advocacy and other support for victims of crime in the ACT.
Phone: 1800 822 272
Available: 9am-4.30pm, Monday-Friday
Support Services in New South Wales
- Wattle PlaceWattle Place is a Relationships Australia service to support people who grew up in orphanages, children’s homes, institutions and foster homes in Australia from the 1920s to the 1990s. Phone Wattle Place to enquire about its drop-in service.
Emails: wattleplace@ransw.org.au
Phone: 1800 663 844 or 1800 16 11 09
Available: 9am-5pm
- InterrelateTherapeutic support for people involved in the Royal Commission. Interrelate provides a specialised service for adult survivors of child sexual abuse.
Phone: 1300 134 924
Available: 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- Victims Services NSWVictims of crime in NSW can access counselling and other support services through Victims Services NSW.
Phone: (02) 1800 633 063 (free call)
Available: 8am-6pm, Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays)
Aboriginal Contact Line Phone: 1800 019 123
Support Services in the Northern Territory
- Sexual Assault Resource CentreCounselling for male and female adults who have been sexually assaulted either recently or as a child.
Phone: Darwin (08) 8922 6472
Alice Springs SARC – (08) 8955 4500
Available: 24 hours, 7 days
- Ruby GaeaSexual assault counselling for women and children (girls and boys aged 5-17 years) in the Greater Darwin region.
Phone: (08) 8945 0155
Available: 8:30am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Support Services in Queensland
- Victims LinkUpInformation and referral service for victims of crime.
Phone: 1300 546 587
Available: 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays)
- Lotus PlaceInformation, referral and support for Forgotten Australians and child migrants.
Phone: (07) 3347 8500
Available: 9am-3pm Monday, 9am-5pm Tuesday, 12pm-5pm Wednesday, 9am-5pm Thursday and Friday
Support Services in South Australia
- Victims Support ServiceProvides assistance to victims of crime to cope and recover.
Phone: 1800 842 846
Available: 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- Elm PlaceInformation and resources for people who have been affected by childhood sexual abuse, including adult survivors, friends, family, and professionals working in the community services sector.
Phone: (08) 8419 2042
Available: 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Support Services in Tasmania
- Victims Support ServicesWide-ranging support for victims of crime in Tasmania.
Offices are located in Burnie, Hobart and Launceston.
Phone: Burnie (03) 6477 7133
Hobart (03) 6165 7524
Launceston (03) 6777 2937
Available: 8.45am-5pm, Monday to Friday or for after-hours emergencies, call 1300 300 238
Support Services in Victoria
- Victims of CrimeInformation and support to help survivors to manage the effects of crime.
Phone: 1800 819 817
Text: 0427 767 891
Available: 8am-11pm, 7 days a week
- Open PlaceA support and advocacy service that coordinates and provides assistance to people who grew up in Victorian orphanages and homes.
Phone: 1800 779 379 (free call)
Available: 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday
Support Services in Western Australia
- Victim Support ServiceProvides counselling and support, information and referrals.
Phone: (08) 9425 2850 or 1800 818 988 (free call)
Available: 8.30am-4.30pm
- Sexual Assault Resource CentreCounselling services for sexual assault victims.
Phone: 1800 199 888 (free call)
Available: Business hours
- Tuart PlaceSupport services for people who experienced any form of out-of-home care in WA.
Phone: 1800 619 795 (freecall)
Available: 9am-4.30pm, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (excluding public holidays)
