Page 632 - Week 02 - Thursday, 16 February 2017
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may be more suitable for a child or young person than the other. Adoption is a legal process that permanently transfers all the rights and responsibilities from a child’s birth parents or anyone with parental responsibility for the child to their adoptive parents. A new birth certificate is issued for the child recording the names of the adoptive parents as the legal parents and, if given, the new name of the child.
Domestic adoption involves a child who is born in or is living permanently in Australia before the adoption and excludes intercountry adoption. These adoptions typically involve a long-term carer, step-parent or relative. All domestic adoptions in the ACT are open adoptions, which means there is an open exchange of information between all parties. This is accepted as best practice.
Decisions about the permanent removal and adoption of a child are complex. Ensuring that adoption is in the best interests of the child takes time and is often affected by complex issues and procedural requirements. The role of the domestic adoption task force was to address these complexities and identify areas for improvement. The task force sought the views of the people who have experienced the domestic adoption process firsthand. The taskforce also explored processes in other jurisdictions where reform in this area is occurring.
The task force’s report reflects the views, experiences and expectations of the community regarding timeliness in the adoption process and provides recommendations to ensure the best interests of children and young people remain central at every stage. The report identifies four key issues that contribute to delay in the domestic adoption process. First, a breakdown or lack of communication between agencies, adoptive parents and birth families can cause delays and frustration. This was highlighted by many respondents to the public consultation. Second, assessing people for adoption who have already met foster care assessment requirements involves duplication and can create delays.
Third, and most significantly, obtaining consent from birth parents to the adoption takes necessary time to allow birth parents to fully consider their options and ultimately make their decision. Delays can occur when an application to dispense with consent is required, including when birth parents cannot be located or are refusing to engage with the process or with the child’s life.
Four, a lack of support for any party can slow the process. Resourcing challenges and increasing demand pressures across the system affect the experience of those participating in adoptions. While timeliness is important it is also equally important that the process guiding adoption orders is robust, considered and transparent for all parties involved. The impact of a failed adoption is significant as this can result in further trauma and adversely affect the long-term outcomes for children and young people.
In response to these findings the report makes several recommendations for improving the responsiveness of services and support provided to all parties throughout the adoption process. The first recommendation is to put in place a communication plan identifying key stages where communication between all parties to an adoption should be actively supported. The government supports this change, which will help
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