Adoption - whats the Oz law
#1
Adoption - whats the Oz law
Does anyone know the law with regards to immigrants applying to adopt children in Oz? Are immigrants considered at all as adoptive parents?
Karen
Karen
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
I would assume that once you have citizenship you have the same rights in almost everything including adoption.
Adoption services queensland have recently advised people considering adoption should register asap, the register had to close to allow large numbers of prospective parents to be vetted, due to the trend of more people wanting to adopt than children available.
Would add, foster parents for socially disadvantaged kids are in enormous demand.
#3
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
I would assume that once you have citizenship you have the same rights in almost everything including adoption.
Adoption services queensland have recently advised people considering adoption should register asap, the register had to close to allow large numbers of prospective parents to be vetted, due to the trend of more people wanting to adopt than children available.
Would add, foster parents for socially disadvantaged kids are in enormous demand.
Adoption services queensland have recently advised people considering adoption should register asap, the register had to close to allow large numbers of prospective parents to be vetted, due to the trend of more people wanting to adopt than children available.
Would add, foster parents for socially disadvantaged kids are in enormous demand.
I have often considered fostering. I am a special needs teacher so I have experience with less advantaged children but I cannot bear the thought of having to 'give the child back', especially to parents who may have wronged them in some way - it would break my heart not to mention my husband's and my boys' too
If we do something like this it would have to be all or nothing.
K x
#4
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
We looked into this as well, however, either correctly or incorrectly we were told by the adoption agency that children over 12 months are not adopted out and that if you were wanted to adopt you had to not have any other children and also must have either prospective father or mother medically proven to be barren.
It seemed bizzare, but it ruled us out as we have 4 children and are very much very fertile!
It seemed bizzare, but it ruled us out as we have 4 children and are very much very fertile!
#5
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
We looked into this as well, however, either correctly or incorrectly we were told by the adoption agency that children over 12 months are not adopted out and that if you were wanted to adopt you had to not have any other children and also must have either prospective father or mother medically proven to be barren.
It seemed bizzare, but it ruled us out as we have 4 children and are very much very fertile!
It seemed bizzare, but it ruled us out as we have 4 children and are very much very fertile!
#7
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
Long term fostering/adoption could be a option but I don't think I could bear it if the child was placed back with her family after she had been a much loved member of our family
Good luck.
Karen x
#8
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
I have been doing some online searches about adoption but haven't come up with any specific criteria for adopting yet.
Long term fostering/adoption could be a option but I don't think I could bear it if the child was placed back with her family after she had been a much loved member of our family
Good luck.
Karen x
Long term fostering/adoption could be a option but I don't think I could bear it if the child was placed back with her family after she had been a much loved member of our family
Good luck.
Karen x
probably best wait till we get out there and speak to someone
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 234
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
We are in NSW and going through the adoption process as well - albeit international adoption, which is more popular. Domestic adoption in Australia is virtually non existent due to the legacy left after the "stolen generation". Children needing homes are placed through the foster system. Australia has one of the highest foster rates in the developed world and they are absolutely desperate for foster parents.
You don't have to be infertile to adopt - I know people who haven't had problems conceiving but who just wanted to adopt to complete their families. We have one biological child. In NSW one of the parents has to be a citizen to adopt through the state department there. I believe it is possible to adopt as foreign citizens through a foreign agency though, it's just not that common. I've come across people who have done it but this was a few years ago.
Queensland is considered to be the worst state in which to adopt and I've heard of families moving to other states so that they could adopt faster. That may well change though as there has been a government inquiry which showed up the flaws, which the state departments have said they will address.
You don't have to be infertile to adopt - I know people who haven't had problems conceiving but who just wanted to adopt to complete their families. We have one biological child. In NSW one of the parents has to be a citizen to adopt through the state department there. I believe it is possible to adopt as foreign citizens through a foreign agency though, it's just not that common. I've come across people who have done it but this was a few years ago.
Queensland is considered to be the worst state in which to adopt and I've heard of families moving to other states so that they could adopt faster. That may well change though as there has been a government inquiry which showed up the flaws, which the state departments have said they will address.
#11
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
Far too much priority is given to protecting the integrity of "natural" families as opposed to permanently removing children from parents who have abused or neglected them. Especially when the alternative of adoption is a feasible one.
#12
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
We looked into this as well, however, either correctly or incorrectly we were told by the adoption agency that children over 12 months are not adopted out and that if you were wanted to adopt you had to not have any other children and also must have either prospective father or mother medically proven to be barren.
It seemed bizzare, but it ruled us out as we have 4 children and are very much very fertile!
It seemed bizzare, but it ruled us out as we have 4 children and are very much very fertile!
The adoption legislations differ from state to state. In Queensland, children up to the age of 2 (from Queensland or from intercountry) are adopted.
For general child adoption (meaning adoption of children from Queensland only),
1/ the prospective adoptive parents can have one child at the time of application
2/ one or both prospective adoptive parent(s) must be infertile
For intercountry child adoption,
1/ the prospective adoptive parents can have up to 4 children at the time of application
2/ the prospective adoptive parents do not have to be infertile
The expression of interest registry which is open till July 2nd 2007 is only for general and intercountry child adoptions. And for both types of adoption, you need to be residents in Queensland and at least one of you is an Australian citizen.
For special needs and other types of adoption, rules are different, you may apply any time by contacting the Queensland adoption units.
More information on adoption in Queensland can be found on:
http://www.childsafety.qld.gov.au/adoption/index.html
At the moment each state has its own local and intercountry adoption units. However there are talks that intercountry adoption may be centralized at the federal level in the future. In Queensland, child safety (include adoption, foster care, etc) legislations are being reviewed and there may be changes in eligibilities and assessment criteria for different types of adoption.
Hope this may be useful to someone here.
Cheers,
Mrs JTL
#13
Re: Adoption - whats the Oz law
While I was working I came into contact with people who worked in the adoption units in Queensland. Just thought I'd share a bit of what I know.
The adoption legislations differ from state to state. In Queensland, children up to the age of 2 (from Queensland or from intercountry) are adopted.
For general child adoption (meaning adoption of children from Queensland only),
1/ the prospective adoptive parents can have one child at the time of application
2/ one or both prospective adoptive parent(s) must be infertile
For intercountry child adoption,
1/ the prospective adoptive parents can have up to 4 children at the time of application
2/ the prospective adoptive parents do not have to be infertile
The expression of interest registry which is open till July 2nd 2007 is only for general and intercountry child adoptions. And for both types of adoption, you need to be residents in Queensland and at least one of you is an Australian citizen.
For special needs and other types of adoption, rules are different, you may apply any time by contacting the Queensland adoption units.
More information on adoption in Queensland can be found on:
http://www.childsafety.qld.gov.au/adoption/index.html
At the moment each state has its own local and intercountry adoption units. However there are talks that intercountry adoption may be centralized at the federal level in the future. In Queensland, child safety (include adoption, foster care, etc) legislations are being reviewed and there may be changes in eligibilities and assessment criteria for different types of adoption.
Hope this may be useful to someone here.
Cheers,
Mrs JTL
The adoption legislations differ from state to state. In Queensland, children up to the age of 2 (from Queensland or from intercountry) are adopted.
For general child adoption (meaning adoption of children from Queensland only),
1/ the prospective adoptive parents can have one child at the time of application
2/ one or both prospective adoptive parent(s) must be infertile
For intercountry child adoption,
1/ the prospective adoptive parents can have up to 4 children at the time of application
2/ the prospective adoptive parents do not have to be infertile
The expression of interest registry which is open till July 2nd 2007 is only for general and intercountry child adoptions. And for both types of adoption, you need to be residents in Queensland and at least one of you is an Australian citizen.
For special needs and other types of adoption, rules are different, you may apply any time by contacting the Queensland adoption units.
More information on adoption in Queensland can be found on:
http://www.childsafety.qld.gov.au/adoption/index.html
At the moment each state has its own local and intercountry adoption units. However there are talks that intercountry adoption may be centralized at the federal level in the future. In Queensland, child safety (include adoption, foster care, etc) legislations are being reviewed and there may be changes in eligibilities and assessment criteria for different types of adoption.
Hope this may be useful to someone here.
Cheers,
Mrs JTL