Adoption
NARROWER TERMS
Report
Consultation on dispensing with consent provisions in the Adoption Act 1993: report on consultation outcomes
The ACT Community Services Directorate received over 40 submissions from individuals and organisations in response to their 2018 discussion paper. These highlighted several overarching themes, including a view that the dispensing with consent provisions should prioritise children’s best interests. Feedback from the submissions is outlined...
Discussion paper
Dispensing with consent: discussion paper
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.
Report
Adoptions Australia 2017–18
Adoptions Australia 2017–18, the 28th report in the series, covers the latest data on adoptions of Australia children and children from overseas, and highlights important trends in the number of adoptions dating back to 1993–94.
Report
Breaking barriers: a national adoption framework for Australian children
All Australian children deserve to feel safe and loved and to have a strong sense of identity and belonging. Unfortunately there are tens of thousands of Australian children in out-of-home care who need a family they can belong to. It is not acceptable that children...
Commentary
Why controversial child protection reforms in NSW could lead to another Stolen Generation
Children are already being removed from Indigenous communities at an unprecedented rate. Indigenous children make up 36.9% of children in out-of-home care in Australia, despite being just 3% of the population.
Report
Innovation, ingenuity and initiative: the adoption and application of new ideas in Australian Local Government
The current economic, financial and policy climate requires that government services have to deliver significantly better performance at significantly lower cost. This report details innovation and change in regards to Local Government. This requirement extends beyond a dedication to incremental and continuous improvement, characteristic of...
Report
Past adoption experiences
The key focus of the study is to improve knowledge about the extent and effects of past adoption practices, and to strengthen the evidence available to governments to address the current needs of individuals affected by past adoption practices, including information, counselling, search and contact...
Policy report
A viable option: a national adoption framework
There is a growing awareness that all children need stable homes and families to thrive. This has led to policymakers facing mounting calls from adoption advocates to increase the number of ‘open adoptions’ from out of care in Australia.
Report
Adoptions Australia 2016–17
After a long-term downward trend, adoption numbers are rising, particularly for children who are already known to their adoptive parents, according to this report.
Report
Resetting the pendulum: Balanced, effective, accountable child protection systems and adoption reform in Australia
Attempting to keep and reunite children with even highly dysfunctional parents at almost all costs has swung the pendulum of child protection systems too far in favour of defending parental rights at the expense of protecting children’s rights and best interests.