Adoption is the legal process by which the parental rights and responsibilities of a child are transferred from the biological parents to the adoptive parent/s. In NSW this process is governed by the Adoption Act 2000, and the governmental bodies enforcing the Adoption Act 2000 are the Supreme Court of the NSW and the DCJ.
The adoption process can be somewhat complex but is able to be explained simply. Step one is to read the ‘Thinking about Adoption’ factsheet and the information on Adoption fees and costs fact sheet on the NSW Government page, then you will have to talk with Open Adoption and Permanency Services (OAPS) who will ask about your family and experiences and proceed to determine how suitable you are for adoption. If OAPS determine you are suitable, they will send a “Considering Adoption” Booklet and an Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
Next submit the EOI form if you meet the requirements of your chosen program within twelve months of OAPS giving the EOI to you. For the following, the Local Adoption and Permanent Care program will be explained as the majority of people prefer it over the Intercountry program. Then you will have to attend a two-day seminar called “Core Training” and a Program Nomination Form will be supplied and must be filled out, which will be reviewed and if suitable, then an adoption application will be sent to you. If you wish to adopt, then within 6 weeks of the seminar you must formally apply to adopt, then the DCJ will conduct a background check to determine whether you as an applicant are suitable to officially adopt and care for a child. Then OAPS will assess you again, which will require interviews with an adoptive assessor, who will write if you meet the legislative requirements based of the Adoption Act 2000. If approved, the approval will be noted and valid for four years, where you will join the group of approved prospective adoptive parents and create a profile which will be taken into consideration by birth parents and the courts for adoption. Then the parents will choose you to adopt if they believe you are the best suited person. An annual review will occur to ensure suitability and once the four years pass, a formal re-assessment will occur.
Proposed placements include an initial meeting where the adoptive parents receive all the relevant information DCJ holds about the child and their social and medical history before all parties can reach an agreement. The length of time to introduce the child to your family will take the child’s best interests into consideration. Any change significantly impacting you must be reported as soon as possible to allow for any changes.
Thus, if considering adoption, ensure you follow all of the steps above to and good luck!