Big birthdays, like turning one, bring changes. We shared previously how the Rapid Response Circle (Circle 110) had organised a first birthday party for a baby, born to a refugee mother in outer Adelaide. For this child, the biggest change was meeting her Dad for the first time ever, after his arrival in Adelaide from detention offshore.
We would love to show you more photos – the initial push away from a little hand, the “well….ok” look and the eventual smile, but of course respect the privacy of the family. (We do have the Mother’s permission to share the image above).
Six months have passed since the initial meeting and this child’s father is still in the transit detention facility in Kilburn. We are hopeful that the family will soon be together in a family home.
Please continue to care, so that in the future, children in Australia (or under Australia’s care) are not separated from their fathers for months on end due to policies enacted by the Australian Government. If you haven’t already, please contact your local MP to urge them to adopt more humane refugee policies such as the Refugee Protection Bill that Andrew Wilkie will be introducing into Parliament on October 21st (read more on this here).
Also if you would like to support this work please consider a contribution to Circle 110, donating through our secure GiveNow account. We appreciate every donation small or large – they all contribute to directly helping someone in need.
Trish Dundon, Convenor Circle 110 (Rapid Response Circle)