In the past, adoption in Western Australia was secretive. Now, under the Adoption Act 1994, adoptions in this state are ‘open’. See What is 'Open adoption'
Under Law birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees can share information. This means birth parents can find out about the child they gave up, and children who have been adopted can find out about their birth family. After 1995 most parties to an adoption would have been introduced to each other so there was little secrecy. Adoptions that took place before 1995 were more likely to have been secret.
Now adoptive parents must tell the adopted child about the adoption and in a way that the child can understand. See Parenting your adopted child.
Negotiating information and contact between parties to an adoption.
During the process of an adoption, you will negotiate with your child’s new adoptive family about information sharing and contact. A social worker from the Department for Child Protection’s Adoption Service will help with this.
An agreement is drawn up which is known as an Adoption Plan. This is a written document signed by you, the other birth parent and the adoptive parents.
What is an Adoption Plan
It is a legally binding order from the Family Court of Western Australia.
The best interests of the child is the priority in an Adoption Plan.
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 and how often contact between you, the child and the adoptive family will happen. It outlines how meetings will be arranged and where they will be.
Contact can vary from an occasional exchange of information with no contact, to a regular flow of information and frequent contact.
Making changes to an Adoption Plan
The plan can be changed by agreement between you, the other birth parent and the adoptive family as the needs of the child change. However any change to an Adoption Plan needs to be approved by the Family Court.
Unless the Court decides otherwise, every adoption must have an Adoption Plan. There are heavy penalties for any breach of the plan.
For more information see: