Western Australians can apply to adopt Western Australian children (local adoptions), or children from certain countries (intercountry adoptions). These countries include China, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, India, Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.
Numbers of adopted children
The number of local adoptions has declined from the previously high numbers of the 60's and 70's. About five local children are placed with adoptive parents in Western Australia each year and most are less than a year old. Although the numbers are small it is still important to find the best possible home for these children.
The number of overseas children placed for adoption in Western Australia depends on the number of children for whom particular countries require adoptive placements.
In recent years about 30 children have been placed from overseas with Western Australian adoptive parents and most are more than a year old.
Children’s rights and the Hague Convention
Australia has signed the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. This is an International Legal Convention and forms part of the Adoption law in Western Australia.
The Convention includes principles that protect the rights, welfare and interests of children being adopted. Measures aim to ensure that every alternative has been explored for the child to remain in their own country. The Convention prevents children being placed for adoption without proper consents by birth parents and payments for the relinquishment of children.
There are more applicants wanting a child to adopt than there are children available
Many countries will not permit adoptions to receiving countries such as Australia. Other countries may restrict the number of children available for intercountry adoption, through quotas, which may change each year. As there are many more applicants desiring to adopt a healthy young child than there are children available, waiting times can be long.
There are many children in overseas orphanages who cannot be placed for adoption in Western Australia. This is because although birth parents may need to place their child in an orphanage, they have not consented to the child being adopted. In other cases war or civil strife have resulted in families being separated and parents or extended family may be searching for their child.
Child trafficking
It is unethical for a receiving country to put pressure on a sending country to place additional children. Receiving countries must not contribute to ‘creating a market’ that encourages child trafficking. This is also why it is very important for adoptions to be well regulated and to be arranged through approved regulatory bodies.
More information on children adopted in Western Australia can be found in the Department’s annual report for 2006/2007 and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.