The Department for Child Protection’s Adoption Service is the first place to call when you are thinking about relinquishing or placing your child for adoption.
The Department is the only agency in Western Australia allowed to arrange adoptions.
Staff from the Adoption Service can talk with you about Your options, and help you make the best plans for your child. You will be offered counselling and support.
Taking time to make a decision
There are steps that need to be followed. Adoption Service staff are available to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. It is important to take your time when making a decision about whether you want your child to be adopted. The Adoption Act 1994 and Adoption Service staff give time for you to make an informed decision.
Obtaining Information about Relinquishment
The first step is to find out about adoption with a Social Worker at Adoption Service. They will give you information to help you make your decision. You will also be offered counselling to assist with this decision.
What happens to your child while you are thinking about adoption.
Your child may be placed with specially chosen and trained Adoption Service foster carers while you decide what to do. You will be encouraged to visit your child when in foster care as this has benefits for both you and your child even if you decide on adoption. Sometimes birth parents are reluctant to have contact for a range of reasons. Adoption Service is happy to discuss your reasons and will not place any pressure on you.
Giving your consent for the adoption
If you decide to proceed with the adoption, you must give your written consent in front of an eligible witness. Adoption Service staff will help you with the paper work.
The child’s other birth parent
When a baby is born, both parents have equal parental rights and legal responsibility for the child.
Both birth parents must give their written consent for the child to be placed for adoption. Sometimes it is not possible or appropriate for the other birth parent to sign their consent and a dispensation may be obtained from the Family Court of Western Australia. Please discuss this with Adoption Service staff.
Thinking relinquishment through
After signing adoption consents you have a further 28 days to proceed. The technical name for this time is the ‘revocation period’.
This time starts from when the Director General of the Department for Child Protection receives your consent, and the consent of the other birth parent, for the adoption.
You have an important role in choosing the new parents. For more information see How are the adoptive parents chosen.
Adoption plan
When you have chosen the adoptive parents that you would like for your child and they have agreed to the placement, Adoption Service staff will assist in the preparation of the Adoption Plan. The Adoption Plan is the formal way of documenting the agreement between the birth parents and the adoptive parents and spells out when and how you will receive information or have contact with your child.
Six months with the adoptive parents before an Adoption Order can be granted
When your child has been with the adoptive family for six months, the adoptive parents can apply for an Adoption Order from the Family Court. During the six months a Social Worker visits the family to see how your child is settling in and offers advice and support. The Social Worker will provide information to the Family Court gained during the visits, and this will help the Court when deciding about the granting of an Adoption Order.
A new birth certificate and last name for the adopted child
If the order is granted the adoption is made official. The adoptive parents will then be the legal parents for your child. Your child will receive a new last name and a new birth certificate.
For more information see:
The Association Representing Mothers Separated from their Children, phone (08) 9312 1999 is a support organization.