Baltara Reception Centre

Full description

Early Years

In October 1968, the Baltara Reception Centre was established on the site of the former Parkside section, at the Turana Youth Training Centre (VA 971), in Parkville. Prior to the opening of Baltara, the Turana Reception Centre (official title from Social Welfare Department Annual Reports) was located in another section of the complex.

Both Baltara and its predecessor Turana Reception Centre were administered by the Family Welfare Division, Social Welfare Branch, Chief Secretary's Department (VA 2784). The Youth Welfare Division administered the Youth Training Centre that was part of the same complex.

The Baltara Reception Centre incorporated both Parkside and three other new sections that were given Aboriginal names: Kinta meaning laughter; Mawarra meaning a pleasant place; Warrina meaning place of rest. Names of persons were considered undesirable because their meaning would be lost with the passage of time. Another residential unit, completed in 1970, was given the name Akora meaning dwelling.

The Baltara Reception Centre was part of the same campus as the Turana Youth Training Centre but operated as a separate entity. Baltara's officer in charge reported to Turana's superintendent.

Baltara initially provided interim accommodation for boys aged 10-14 years whose family relations or social situation were such as to require intervention from the Children's Court. The boys were either awaiting a court appearance or were wards awaiting adoption or placement in foster care, family group homes, children's homes or mental health facilities. Their stays varied from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of their court cases and the availability of other placements. The centre also acted as a remand centre for boys in the same age group.

The boys were admitted to Baltara for study and classification with the objective of determining a program of treatment or care based on their needs, and the children's homes to which they should be transferred. Their duration of stay varied from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the court case and the availability of placements. In the late 1970s, Baltara also began functioning as a long term facility, mainly catering for boys who had previously experienced unsuccessful placements or breakdowns in home release.

Whilst at Baltara, the boys undertook a program that was strongly focussed on community oriented rehabilitation, involving trained child care officers and teaching staff from the Education Department. In its initial stages, Baltara had a seven classroom school. In 1973 three new classrooms were added, enabling the development of a domestic science program and extension of art and craft activities. Other facilities added over the years included an indoor games centre, a sports oval, a swimming pool and an adventure playground. These facilities allowed for the development of many programs, including badminton, judo, gym and mini-bike activities.

In 1972, child care staff commenced an after-care service for boys returned to their families from Baltara. This allowed for continuity in staff-child relationships and helped many boys make a success of their return to the community. The year 1972 also saw the establishment of several hobby clubs and an expansion of the camping program. In 1983-1984, a new section called The Oaks was added and it ran a diversion program for appropriate boys. In 1985-1986, an Individual Treatment Program centred on The Oaks Section was developed. The Oaks program provided intensive care for a small number of boys with social and intellectual disabilities.

By January 1970, due to its number of admissions, Baltara had become one of the largest institutions of its type in Victoria. Overcrowding had become a problem. In the early 1970s, Baltara established its own school and administration block, reinforcing its separation from Turana.

In 1973, three new classrooms were added. Also added over the years was an indoor games centre, a sports oval, a swimming pool and an adventure playground.
In the late 1970s, Baltara began to function as a long-term facility, mainly catering for boys who had experienced unsuccessful placements or breakdowns in home release.

By 1975, Baltara had the following sections:
- Parkside - security and remand.
- Warrawong - open/semi-security placement, remand, and internal classification of boys not needing a full security placement at Parkside.
- Alkoomi (new section created from a wing of Parkside) - halfway house between Parkside and open section for older boys not needing long-term placement but needing group counselling and activities before home release.
- Akora - boys on home release expected to make an early adjustment back to the community.
- Kinta - remands and wards awaiting transfer to children's homes.
- Mawarra - state wards (often long term) with complex needs who faced difficulties being placed in children's homes.

In the late 1970s, Baltara underwent a process of change whereby it reviewed the functions and use of its facilities. One section was diverted for the purposes of remand and assessment, two sections continued to be used for boys working towards home release or placement, and the fourth section started being used for security.

Baltara 1980s

In 1981-82, a new early adolescent unit housed eight wards of the state from Baltara Reception Centre who progressed to more long-term placements in hostels or other units in the community. The after-care service was also phased out and transferred to regional centres, which were now preferred over metropolitan institutions.

In the 1980s, separation of children from their families and communities became widely regarded as not only undesirable, but counterproductive. Rather than placing children in large central institutions, multiple small, geographically dispersed, short-term residential units were established in neighbourhood settings. Youth and child welfare facilities statewide were redeveloped as an alternative to metropolitan institutions.

Final years and closure

The Children and Young Persons Act 1989 established different divisions in the Children's Court to completely separate child protection matters from criminal/custodial matters. The Act also instigated separation of service provision for children and young people on protective orders and young offenders in custody. In September 1991, the proclamation of the Children and Young Person's Act 1989, led to Baltara's closure the following year.

The Department of Community Services channeled resources that had previously gone to Baltara, into a network of small-scale, geographically-dispersed, community-based residential and reception units, including secure welfare services and short- and medium-term housing.

Baltara closed in 1992, and its residents were transferred to the Nunawading Youth Residential Centre. The Parkville Youth Residential Centre was developed on the site of the former Baltara Reception Centre.

When the Nunwading Youth Residential Centre closed in 1993, residents were moved to Parkville Youth Residential Centre.

Legislation

The Children and Young Persons Act 1989 required that the provision of services for children and young people on protective orders be separated from those provided to young offenders in custody. The Act established different divisions in the Children's Court to completely separate child protection matters from criminal custodial matters.

The 1989 Act also established the term 'children in need of protection', replacing old terms 'ward of state' (from the Neglected Children's Act 1887) and 'trainee' (from the Social Welfare Act 1960). Children and young people involved with child protection and sentenced young people are now all classified as 'clients'.

Young people who entered the youth justice system before the 1989 Act was implemented, kept their trainee case history files, but not the later Client Relationship Information System institutional files (JJ CRIS prefix). This explains why the older records continued until the late 1990s - well after the terminology had changed.

The term 'client' is still used for all care leavers in Victoria.