This discussion paper aims to assist interested community members to contribute to the ACT Government’s exploration of provisions for dispensing with consent in the domestic adoption process.

This discussion paper is focused on exploring legislative, policy and practice changes so that dispensing with consent decisions in domestic adoptions may better cater for children and young people in out of home care.

Matters that will not be actively considered are issues and processes relating to intercountry adoption, surrogacy, step-parent adoption and informal familial arrangements with no statutory or Court intervention.