Adopting a child born in Australia is called a local adoption.
There are different rules for adopting a stepchild or a foster child. For more information see: Adopting a step-child and Adopting a child in your long term care.
The need to be open about adoption
Adoption is different to parenting a biological child and raises many issues that most parents and children do not have to consider. Parents will need to be ‘open’ with the child about the adoption and support them to understand the reasons for being relinquished and their complete history. Adoptive parents need to encourage their children to ask questions about their adoption and keep their child connected with their origins.
^top
Australia is a multicultural society. Local children who need adoptive families come from a variety of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
^top
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
The Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities do not generally support adoption of their children. However there are sometimes cases where the parent/s feels that it is best if their child is adopted and the parent/s then
choses the home that they feel will provide the best care for their child.
As with all adoptions, it should only occur where there is no appropriate alternative for the child. In most cases the child’s extended family or community will take responsibility for the child when the birth parent is unable to care for them.
^top
Birth parents have an important role in matching a child with an adoptive family.
The birth parents can request the special characteristics they would like their child’s adopted family to have. This can include the family’s religion and lifestyle.
Birth parents also can request the amount and frequency of information exchanged and contact between the child and themselves. This is in keeping with the spirit of open adoption and is formalised in an Adoption Plan.
^top
Matching a child to a new family
The Adoption Service gives birth parents a selection of adoptive family profiles that matches, as closely possible, their wishes.
A profile is a document, written by the adoptive parent, introducing themselves and providing important information that will help the birth parent match their child to the adoptive parent.
Usually about four profiles are presented to the birth parent.
Sometimes the birth parents do not want to be involved in selecting a family for the child. In this case, the Adoption Service will make a choice based on the needs of the child.
^top
A baby will be at least four months old before they can be placed with an adoptive family. This is because of the legal requirements around adoption.
Sometimes, a local child will be more than a year old when they are placed with an adoptive family. This may be because of legal issues relating to a birth parent, medical issues or another reason.
In most cases, the child will have been in temporary foster care since birth.
Very occasionally the birth parent will care for the child for a time before making the decision to give them up for adoption.
For more information see:
^top