If you are adopting a child from Australia, Adoption Service will develop a written agreement known as the Adoption Plan, which sets out the type and level of contact the adoptive child will have with their birth parents. If you are adopting a child from overseas, as much contact as possible will be encouraged, although this can be difficult depending on the situation.
The best interests of the child are always the primary concerns in these discussions.
The Adoption Plan and the Family Court
The Adoption Plan occurs at the time of the placement and is drawn up between at least one of the birth parents and the adoptive parents. The Adoption Plan needs to be approved by the Family Court of Western Australia.
Unless the Court decides otherwise, every adoption must have an Adoption Plan. There are heavy penalties for any breach of the plan.
What does the Adoption Plan do
The plan sets out how often and what sort of information will be shared (for example, letters, photographs, videos), by whom and how this will be done.
It also states if there will be contact between the child, the adoptive family and the birth family and how this will happen.
How much contact can there be
Contact can vary from an occasional exchange of information with no contact, to a regular flow of information and frequent contact.
Changes in contact need to be approved by the Family Court
The plan can be changed by agreement as the needs of the child change. Any change needs to be approved by the Family Court.
For more intormation see: