The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) recognises that people and communities have diverse needs.
If your organisation helps communities access BDM services, contact us if there is a service we could improve by working together.
Outreach work
We work directly with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities across Victoria. This includes travelling to communities to provide BDM services. We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to contact us about this.
Partnerships
BDM partners with other organisations to improve services for communities with diverse needs. This may include government and not-for-profit agencies.
Partnerships have included:
- My Name project – work with WEstjustice to help refugees to change their name
Birth registration FAQs – work to support women affected by family violence. This was a collaboration with:
- Inner Melbourne Community Legal, and
- The Royal Women's Hospital
Where there is family violence, BDM can contact the father to sign the birth registration. BDM does not give the mother’s contact details to the father without her written consent.
As a result of the work, BDM:
- Added information to the birth registration statement. This information advises the mother on steps she can take to protect her and her baby’s safety
- Gave Inner Melbourne Community Legal a fact sheet to distribute. This sheet answers questions about birth registration where there may be family violence.
- Partnership with Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA Victoria). COTA Victoria joined with BDM to launch Death of a partner (External link). This guide outlines strategies for tackling the tasks to be undertaken after a death.
- Notify Others pilot – work with COTA and funeral directors. The Notify Others pilot supports partners and families following a death. With their consent, BDM can notify participating organisations (e.g. banks, utilities) of the death.
Targeted services
BDM has customised some services to meet identified needs:
- Protecting parents and children from family violence when registering a birth
- Information in other languages about BDM’s services
- Information in other languages about registering a birth
- Financial hardship and fee waiver – for people experiencing significant disadvantage or natural disaster. For example, this may include:
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders
- People experiencing homelessness
- Refugees
- Survivors of family violence.
- Protecting children through the Child Information Sharing Scheme.