Adoptions Australia
2008–09
 
February 2010

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is Australia’s national health and welfare statistics and information agency. The Institute’s mission is better information and statistics for better health and wellbeing.

© Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the Head, Media and Communications Unit, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, GPO Box 570, Canberra ACT 2601.

This publication is part of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Child welfare series. A complete list of the Institute’s publications is available from the Institute’s website <www.aihw.gov.au>. 

ISSN 1320-081X
ISBN 978 1 74024 993 5
Suggested citation 
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010. Adoptions Australia 2008–09. Child welfare series no. 48. Cat. no. CWS 36. Canberra: AIHW.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 
Board Chair
Hon. Peter Collins, AM, QC

Director 
Penny Allbon

Any enquiries about or comments on this publication should be directed to:
Tim Beard
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
GPO Box 570
Canberra ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 6244 1270
Email: tim.beard@aihw.gov.au

Published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
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Please note that there is the potential for minor revisions of data in this report.
Please check the online version at <www.aihw.gov.au> for any amendments.

Contents
Acknowledgments	iv
Abbreviations	v
Symbols	v
Summary	vi
1	Introduction	1
1.1	Categories of adoption	1
1.2	Adoption legislation and processes	2
1.3	Report structure	6
2	An overview of adoptions in Australia	7
2.1	Adoptions in 2008–09	7
2.2	Trends	8
3	Detailed information	11
3.1	Intercountry adoptions	11
3.2	Local adoptions	 16
3.3	‘Known’ child adoptions	20
3.4	Adoption of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children	21
3.5	Permanent care orders (Victoria only)	22
3.6	Access to information	24
4	Discussion of key findings	30
Appendix A	Statistical tables	35
Appendix B	Legislation	51
B.1	Summary of legislation	51
B.2	Provisions for ‘open’ adoptions	59
B.3	Access to information and veto systems	60
Appendix C	Countries party to the  Hague Convention	66
Glossary	68
References	72
List of tables	75
List of figures	77

Acknowledgments
Many people have contributed to this and previous issues of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Adoptions Australia series. This edition was prepared by Liz Berryman and Nicole Hunter. 
Thanks are extended to the following state and territory departments for providing the data and input for this report, and to the Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department for comments on previous drafts.
New South Wales
Adoption and Permanent Care Services
Community Services
NSW Department of Human Services
Locked Bag 4028
Ashfield NSW 2131
Phone: (02) 9716 3000	South Australia
Adoption and Family Information Service
Department for Families and Communities
GPO Box 292
Adelaide SA 5001
Phone: (08) 8207 0060	
Victoria
Child Protection, Placement and Family Services
Department of Human Services
GPO Box 4057
Melbourne Vic 3001
Phone: (03) 9096 7366	Tasmania
Adoptions and Out of Home Care Standards
Department of Health and Human Services
GPO Box 538
Hobart Tas 7001
Phone: (03) 6222 7373	
Queensland
Adoption Services Queensland
Department of Communities
GPO Box 806
Brisbane Qld 4001
Phone: (07) 3404 3112 or (07) 3224 7415	Australian Capital Territory
Office for Children, Youth and Family Support
GPO Box 158
Canberra City ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 6207 1335	
Western Australia
Family Information and Adoption Services
Department for Child Protection
PO Box 641
Belmont WA 6984
Phone: (08) 9222 2555	Northern Territory
Adoption and Family Information Unit
Family and Children’s Services
PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811
Phone: (08) 8922 7077	
Australian Central Authority
Australian Government Attorney-General’s 
Department
Marriage and Intercountry Adoption Branch
3–5 National Circuit
Barton ACT 2600
Phone: (02) 6141 3217	
This publication was produced with financial assistance from the community services departments in each state and territory.
Abbreviations
AIHW	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
ABS	Australian Bureau of Statistics
ACA	Australian Central Authority
AGD	Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department
DChS	Queensland Department of Child Safety
DCHS	Tasmanian Department of Community and Health Services
DFC	South Australian Department for Families and Communities
DHS	Victorian Department of Human Services
DHHS	Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services
DIAC	Department of Immigration and Citizenship
DoCS	NSW Department of Community Services
FAO	Australian Government Family Assistance Office
OCYFS	ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support

ACT	Australian Capital Territory
NSW	New South Wales
NT	Northern Territory
Qld	Queensland
SA	South Australia
Tas	Tasmania
Vic	Victoria
WA	Western Australia
Symbols
—	nil or rounded to zero
. .	not applicable
n.a.	not available 
Summary
Background
Adoption is one of a range of options used to provide care for children who cannot live with their birth families. This report presents the latest data on adoptions of Australian children and those from overseas, while also highlighting important trends in adoptions over the last few decades. 
Data for this report were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Adoptions Australia data collection. This data collection is a record of all finalised adoptions in Australia since 1990–91, collected from each state and territory department responsible for adoption. 
Main findings
Since the early 1970s, there has been a 22-fold decrease in the number of adoptions in Australia—from 9,798 to 441 adoptions between 1971–72 and 2008–09. However, the total number of adoptions has remained relatively stable since the mid-1990s, at around 400 to 600 children per year. 
The overall decline in adoptions can be attributed to a fall in the number of Australian children adopted (including local and ‘known’ child adoptions). In contrast, intercountry adoptions have increased overall in the last 25 years, and have emerged as the dominant category of adoptions—representing 61% of all adoptions in 2008–09, compared with 10% in 1984–85. 
In 2008–09:
•	There were 441 adoptions in Australia (2.0 per 100,000 population)—only one more adoption than in the previous year. Of these, 61% were intercountry, 15% were local and 24% were ‘known’ child adoptions (see Glossary for definitions).
•	Almost three-quarters of all intercountry adoptions were from China (23%), South Korea (17%), the Philippines (17%) and Ethiopia (14%).
•	Five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were adopted in 2008–09, with a total of 72 Indigenous children being adopted over the last 15 years. 
•	Overall, 71% of adopted children were aged less than 5 years. In local and intercountry adoptions, nearly all children were less than 5 years (97% and 88% respectively); for ‘known’ child adoptions, almost two-thirds (63%) of the children were aged 10 years and over.
•	Of the children in local and intercountry adoptions, 59% had adoptive parents aged 40 years and over, and just over half (53%) were adopted into families with no other children.
•	Two-thirds (66%) of adoptions could be considered ‘open’—that is, all parties were open to freely discussing the adoption within their families, and were happy to allow contact to occur between families. The remaining third (34%) were adoptions where birth parents had requested no contact or information between them and the adopting family. 
•	For ‘known’ child adoptions, almost two-thirds (64%) of adoptions were by step-parents, and a further one-third (34%) were by carers.
1	Introduction
Adoption is one of a range of options used to provide care for children who cannot live with their birth families. Adoption is the legal process where legal rights and responsibilities are transferred from birth parents to adoptive parents. When an adoption order is granted, the legal relationship between the child and the biological parents is severed. The legal rights of the adopted child are as if he or she had been born to the adoptive parents, and the legal rights that exist from birth with regard to the birth parents (inheritance and name, for instance) are removed. A new birth certificate is issued to the child bearing the name(s) of his or her adoptive parent(s) as the legal parent(s), and the new name of the child, if a change has occurred.
Access by the birth parents or other relatives to the adopted child (sometimes called ‘open’ adoption) is facilitated in most states and territories. The degree to which this process occurs varies across the jurisdictions (see Appendix B.2). 
The data included in this report were collected from the state and territory departments responsible for adoption, and collated and analysed by the Child and Youth Welfare Unit of the AIHW. The data were extracted from the administrative systems of the state and territory departments according to definitions and counting rules agreed to by those departments and the AIHW. Definitions of terms used in the data collection are provided in the Glossary. A small amount of additional data were also provided by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). 
1.1	Categories of adoption
The categories of adoption used in this publication are:
•	Intercountry adoptions—adoptions of children from countries other than Australia who are legally able to be placed for adoption, but who generally have had no previous contact or relationship with the adoptive parents. 
•	Local adoptions—adoptions of children who were born in Australia or who were permanent residents of Australia before the adoption, who are legally able to be placed for adoption, but who generally have had no previous contact or relationship with the adoptive parents. 
•	‘Known’ child adoptions—adoptions of children who are Australian residents, who have a pre-existing relationship with the adoptive parent(s) and who are generally not able to be adopted by anyone other than the adoptive parent(s). ‘Known’ child adoptions include adoptions by step-parents, other relatives and carers (see Glossary for definitions). Intercountry ‘known’ child adoptions are not included in this publication.
From 1998–99, the categories of adoption used in the Adoptions Australia publications differ from those used in previous publications. The categories were changed in 1998–99 to better reflect the types of adoptions that occur, and to bring the terminology more in line with that used by state and territory departments responsible for adoption. 

Before 1998–99, adoptions were categorised as either ‘relative’ or ‘non-relative’ adoptions. The major difference between the categories used now and those used earlier is that adoptions by carers are now included with adoptions by step-parents and other relatives, rather than with adoptions by non-relatives (Figure 1.1). Although trend data for intercountry adoptions are not affected by this change, data for local and ‘known’ child adoptions are comparable only from 1998–99 onwards.
Figure 1.1: Categories of adoption used in the Adoptions Australia publications
Flowchart showing categories used up to 1997–98, and categories ued from 1998–99.
Note: ‘Non-relative’ adoptions included children from Australia and overseas, whereas ‘relative’ adoptions included children from 
	Australia only. Intercountry ‘known’ child adoptions are not included in this data collection.
1.2	Adoption legislation and processes
A child is legally available for adoption if all the necessary consents to the child’s adoption have been obtained or dispensed with. Dispensation refers to the legal process whereby a court declares that the consent of a parent is not required for an adoption order to be granted. People wishing to adopt a child must satisfy the department or agency concerned that they will be suitable parents. Factors considered in the assessment of the suitability of potential parents are their parenting capacity, age, health, reasons for wanting to adopt, marital status and the stability of their relationship. There are some variations between jurisdictions regarding eligibility requirements to adopt a child—these are outlined in Appendix B.1.
Intercountry adoptions
Legislation and responsibilities
The adoption process for intercountry children is strictly controlled:
•	by each state and territory under the relevant state-level adoption legislation
•	by the Australian Government under the
–	Australian Citizenship Act 2007
–	Immigration (Guardianship of Children) Act 1946 
–	Family Law (Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998 
–	Family Law (Bilateral Arrangements—Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998 
–	Migration Act 1958 
–	Migration Regulations 1994 
•	and in accordance with the principles of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention). 
In December 1998, the Hague Convention came into force in Australia:
The Convention establishes uniform standards and procedures between countries, including legally binding standards and safeguards, a system of supervision to ensure that these are observed, and channels of communication between authorities in countries of origin and countries of destination for children being adopted (Williams 1998).
The Convention protects children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions overseas. It does this by establishing principles for countries to follow that focus on the need for intercountry adoptions to occur only where it is in the best interests of the child. The Convention also focuses on the need for countries to work to prevent the abduction, sale or trafficking of children. A list of countries currently party to the Hague Convention can be found in Appendix C. 
The Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department (AGD)—the Australian Central Authority (ACA) for the Hague Convention in Australia—is responsible for ensuring that Australia fulfils its obligations under the Convention. In accordance with its responsibilities for intercountry adoption, each state and territory has established a Central Authority under the Convention. 
The AGD has primary responsibility for the management and establishment of Australia’s intercountry adoption arrangements. The AGD works closely with state and territory governments to ensure that existing programs are effectively and efficiently maintained, and that opportunities for new programs are identified and explored in a timely and efficient manner. The state and territory governments are responsible for processing adoption applications and assessing and approving prospective adoptive parents. Although each state and territory has its own legislation relating to intercountry adoption, the general process is relatively similar across the jurisdictions (Figure 1.2). The AGD and the states and territories work cooperatively to ensure that all adoption programs with Australia meet the standards of the Hague Convention regardless of whether country partners are signatories to the Convention. 
Australia’s intercountry adoption programs
Australia currently has intercountry adoption programs with 14 countries. These include: Bolivia, Chile, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Lithuania, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Taiwan. The AGD has recently investigated the possibility of establishing intercountry adoption programs in an additional 30 countries. Preliminary assessments of these countries have indicated that 22 countries have existing conditions or barriers to establishing a program there (AGD 2009a). 
Australia has bilateral agreements with countries that are not party to the Hague Convention. With the exception of China, these bilateral arrangements existed before Australia’s ratifications of the Convention—Australia signed a bilateral agreement with China in December 1999. These existing bilateral arrangements remain in place with the understanding that they will be reviewed on a regular basis, to ensure that they comply with the principles of the Convention. 
The most recent review, in 2004, recommended that the bilateral arrangements with China, Fiji, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan continue. This decision was endorsed by the Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Conference in July 2005. Subsequent to this review, China ratified the Hague Convention in January 2006. The Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Advisory Council has since agreed for further program reviews to be undertaken in accordance with the Intercountry Adoption Strategic Plan 2009. 
Individuals may request to adopt children from countries with which Australia does not have an existing intercountry adoption program. These adoptions, referred to as ‘ad hoc requests’ are considered on a case-by-case basis. The relevant state or territory must have accepted an ad hoc request before prospective adoptive parents are entitled to make a formal application for adoption and be assessed to determine their suitability to adopt. To protect the interests of adoptive children and prospective adoptive parents, ad hoc requests will not be accepted unless particular criteria are met and exceptional circumstances are demonstrated (AGD 2009a). If the ad hoc request is accepted, applicants will be subject to the normal intercountry adoption process (and waiting times) applicable in their relevant state or territory.
Private adoption arrangements are illegal in most states and territories. State and territory authorities do not support privately arranged adoptions. Adoptions to Australia must either be approved by a state or territory authority or meet expatriate requirements (AGD 2009b). Refer to the Other intercountry adoptions section in Chapter 3 for additional information. 
Process
The process for intercountry adoptions is outlined in Figure 1.2.
Origin countries set eligibility requirements for adoptive parents. These include, but are not limited to: age of parents, marital status, family restrictions, fees and family origin. Details on the ‘open’ programs—that is, programs that are currently accepting applications—for each country are available from the AGD website (AGD 2009a). 
Waiting periods for applications between approval and allocation are influenced by a number of factors, including the number and characteristics of children in need of a family overseas, the number of applications received and the resources of the overseas authority—factors that are outside the control of Australian authorities (AGD 2009a). Further, a number of overseas countries, in accordance with the Hague Convention, are trying to keep their children within their country and this has reduced the need for intercountry adoption placements. The length of waiting times for intercountry adoption is increasing and varies from country to country (AGD 2009c). For a number of countries, families can now wait up to three to four years from the time their application is accepted by the overseas country to when they receive an allocation of a child. 
An intercountry adoption may be finalised in a variety of ways. A full adoption order can be made in the child’s country of origin—this adoption order is automatically recognised in Australia if the country has issued an adoption compliance certificate and is either a Hague signatory or has a bilateral agreement with Australia and is a prescribed overseas jurisdiction (see Glossary for definitions) (Figure 1.2). Alternatively, some children enter Australia under the care of a prospective adoptive parent intending to adopt once the period of post-placement supervision has passed. In this case, the federal Minister for Immigration and Citizenship acquires guardianship of the child when he or she arrives in Australia. This guardianship is delegated to the relevant state or territory minister or department head. The Minister’s delegated guardianship remains valid until the child turns 18 years of age or becomes a citizen. 
There are a range of post-adoption services available to adoptive families, including those provided by state and territory authorities and non-government agencies. The services offered may either be region specific (for example Asia, Africa) or be more general, aimed at all families who have adopted children from overseas.
Figure 1.2: Process for intercountry adoptions
Flowchart.
Note: Intercountry adoptions may be finalised in a variety of ways depending on the type of adoption that has taken place— refer to page 4 for more details. This diagram is a simplified overview of the intercountry adoption process.
Local adoptions
For local adoptions, the guardianship of a child for whom a general consent for adoption has been signed generally resides with the state or territory department responsible for adoption. For some approved non-government adoption agencies, the guardianship resides with the principal officer of the agency. The guardianship of a child remains in force until the adoption order is made, the consent for adoption is revoked or some other specified event occurs, such as when a suitable and willing relative is able to care for the child.
Figure 1.3 provides an overview of the process involved in the placement of local children with prospective adoptive parent(s), although the precise order of the steps may vary slightly between jurisdictions.
Figure 1.3: Process for local adoptions
Flowchart.
‘Known’ child adoptions
‘Known’ child adoptions are administered by the department responsible for adoption in each state and territory (see Acknowledgments).
The majority of ‘known’ child adoptions are by step-parents wishing to incorporate children into the new family (Table 3.10). The aim of step-parent adoption is to provide the child with a clear legal position and status within the new family arrangement (DCHS 1994). Adoption by relatives other than step-parents is less common, because most states and territories have policies that promote the use of parental responsibility orders rather than adoption (for example, the use of permanent care and guardianship/custody orders). Adoptions by relatives are generally discouraged because of the confusion and distortion that may occur to biological relationships. For example, if a child were adopted by his or her grandmother, then the birth parent would legally become the child’s sibling (DoCS 2007). 
In Western Australia, adoptions by relatives other than step–parents are no longer permitted under the 2003 amendments made to the Adoption Act 1994, and adoptions by carers can occur only when the child has been in their care for at least three years. In all other states and territories, legislative provisions allow for adoptions by carers, or relatives other than 
step-parents, only in exceptional circumstances—that is, when a guardianship or custody order would not adequately provide for the welfare of the child (Appendix B.1). 
Each state and territory has its own process for the adoption of ‘known’ children by prospective parent(s). Figure 1.4 provides a broad outline of this process, although the precise order of the steps may vary slightly between jurisdictions. 
Figure 1.4: Process for ‘known’ child adoptions
Flowchart.
1.3	Report structure
This report has four chapters:
•	Chapter 2 provides an overview of all adoptions in 2008–09, including current patterns and trends. 
•	Chapter 3 presents detailed data on categories of adoption in 2008–09, including the characteristics of adopted children and their adoptive families. Data on the number of requests made for information about an adoption and the number of contact and information vetoes lodged for the same period are also presented. 
•	The key findings of the report are then discussed in Chapter 4. 
•	More detailed statistical tables are included in Appendix A, state and territory adoptions legislation is summarised in Appendix B and the countries party to the Hague Convention are listed in Appendix C. 
2	An overview of adoptions in Australia
This chapter provides an overview of adoptions in Australia in 2008–09 and discusses trends in Australian adoptions over the past 25 years.
2.1	Adoptions in 2008–09
In 2008–09, there were 441 adoptions of children in Australia, an increase of one adoption from the previous year (Figure 2.1; Table A1). Of all adoptions in 2008–09, 61% were intercountry adoptions, 15% were local adoptions and 24% were ‘known’ child adoptions.
In 2008–09, almost three-quarters of all adopted children were aged under 5 years (71%). Over one-third of all adoptions were of infants less than 1 year old (34%). Slightly more females than males were adopted (51% compared with 49%) (Figure 2.2). 
The national adoption rate in 2008–09 was 2.0 per 100,000 population (Table 2.1). The number and rate of adoptions varied across the states and territories. Rates of adoptions were highest in Tasmania (4.6 per 100,000), the Northern Territory (4.1 per 100,000) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) (3.7 per 100,000) (Table 2.1). 
For local and intercountry adoptions, children are placed with their adoptive families before their adoption order is finalised (Figures 1.2 and 1.3). There were 317 such children placed with their adoptive families during 2008–09 (Table A2). Some children placed for adoption during this period may not have their adoption finalised until the following year. In addition, some adoption orders finalised in 2008–09 may relate to children who were placed in the previous year.
Figure 2.1: Adoptions in Australia, 2008–09
Flowchart.
Note: Refer to the Glossary for definitions of the various adoption categories. 
Sources: Tables 3.1, 3.4 and 3.10.
	
 Figure 2.2: Adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09 
Vertical bar chart showing per cent on y-axis and age group on x-axis. 
Source: Table A3.

Table 2.1: Number and rate of adoptions, by state and territory, 2008–09
State/territory	Number of adoptions	Adoptions per 100,000 population(a) 	
New South Wales	155	2.2	
Victoria	71	1.3	
Queensland	92	2.1	
Western Australia	43	2.0	
South Australia	35	2.2	
Tasmania	23	4.6	
Australian Capital Territory	13	3.7	
Northern Territory	9	4.1	
Australia	441	2.0	
(a)	Rate for ABS estimated resident population in each state/territory at 31 December 2008 (all ages). 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
2.2	Trends
The number of adoptions in Australia has declined considerably since the 1970s—from almost 10,000 in 1971–72 to 441 in 2008–09 (Figure 2.3). This coincides with declining fertility rates and an increasing proportion of children born outside registered marriage (ABS 2008). The availability of more effective birth control and the emergence of family planning centres, combined with increasing social acceptance of raising children outside registered marriage and increased levels of support available to lone parents, have contributed to these trends (ABS 1998). Since the late 1990s, the number of adoptions has fluctuated from year to year, but has remained relatively stable at around 400 to 600 children per year. Between 2005–06 and 2008–09 national adoption rates have fallen slightly, from 2.8 to 2.0 per 100,000 population (Table 2.2).
Figure 2.3: Number of children legally adopted in Australia, 1971–72 to 2008–09 
Line chart showing number of children on x-axis and year on y-axis.
Note: National data were not collected between 1985–86 and 1986–87.
Source: Table A1.
Table 2.2: Number and rate of adoptions, 2005–06 to 2008–09
 Year	Number of adoptions	Adoptions per 100,000 population(a) 	
2005–06	576	2.8	
2006–07	568	2.7	
2007–08	440	2.1	
2008–09	441	2.0	
(a)	Rate for ABS estimated resident population is at 31 December (all ages). 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Trends in categories of adoptions 
Adoption of Australian children
The overall decline in adoptions in the last 25 years can be attributed to the fall in the number of Australian children adopted—a 12-fold decline, from 2,045 to 172 between 
1984–85 and 2008–09 (Table A4). 
Although changes to the adoption categories in 1998–99 limit the amount of trend data available for local and ‘known’ child adoptions of Australian children (Figure 1.1), it is possible to explore trends for adoptions by relatives and non-relatives over a longer time period. The number of Australian children adopted by relatives and non-relatives has fluctuated in the past 25 years, but has decreased overall (Figure 2.4). Between 1984–85 and 2008–09, this decline was greater in adoptions by relatives—a 17-fold decline from 1,157 to 69 adoptions, compared with a 9-fold decline from 888 to 103 adoptions by non-relatives.
Figure 2.4: Adoptions of Australian children, by relationship to adoptive parent(s), 1983–84 to 2008–09
Line chart showing number of children on y-axis and year on x-axis. Legend shows adoptios by relatives and by non-relatives.
Notes
1.	National data were not collected between 1985–86 and 1986–87.
2.	‘Relatives’ includes step-parents; other relatives such as grandparents, aunts and uncles; relative/kinship carers and commissioning (surrogate) parents. ‘Non-relatives’ includes foster carers and other non-relatives.
Source: Table A7.

Both local and ‘known’ child adoptions have fluctuated over time, but decreased overall since 1998–99—from 127 to 68 adoptions, and from 172 to 104 adoptions, respectively 
(Tables A5 and A6). 

Intercountry adoptions
The number of children adopted from overseas has fluctuated over time, but increased by 14% over the 25 years between 1984–85 and 2008–09—from 235 to 269 adoptions. Since 
1999–2000 intercountry adoption has been the dominant category of adoptions. In 2008–09, intercountry adoptions represented 61% of all adoptions, compared with 10% of adoptions in 1984–85. Between 2006–07 and 2007–08 the proportion of intercountry adoptions decreased, due mostly to the reduced number of adoptions from China and South Korea (Figure 2.5). 
In accordance with these trends, the key countries of origin have also varied. Although from the early 1990s the majority of intercountry adoptions have consistently been from Asian countries, there have been considerable changes in the proportion of children adopted from Africa and South/Central America (Figure 2.6). 
Children from African countries made up 14% of all intercountry adoptions in 2008–09, up from less than 1% in 1991–92. This increase can be directly attributed to a 7-fold increase in adoptions from Ethiopia between 1995–96 and 2008–09. 
The proportion of children adopted from South/Central American countries has been steadily declining since the early 1990s—from 26% of all intercountry adoptions in 1992–93 to 3% in 2008–09. This is largely due to a 3-fold decrease in the number of children adopted from Colombia between 1992–93 and 2008–09—reflecting efforts by this country in recent years to give local adoption a higher priority. However, the number of adoptions from these countries represents a relatively small proportion of all intercountry adoptions in Australia. 
There have also been some notable changes among the Asian countries of origin since the early 1990s. South Korea was the leading country of origin between 1991–92 and 2002–03. However, since Australia signed a bilateral agreement with China in 1999, the number of children adopted from China increased (a 4-fold increase between 2000–01 and 2008–09), and China has become the leading country of origin since 2003–04. As China and South Korea bring in more stringent regulations on foreign adoptions, and put emphasis on local adoption in an effort to find permanent homes for children in their own country, the number of children adopted from these countries will continue to decline.

Figure 2.5: Adoptions in Australia, by type of adoption, 1984–85 to 2008–09 
Line chart showing per cent on y-axis and year on x-axis. Legend shows children adopted from Australia and from overseas.
Note: National data were not collected in 1985–86 and 1986–87.
Source: Table A4.

Figure 2.6: Intercountry adoptions, by child’s region of origin, 1992–93 to 2008–09 
Line chart showing per cent on y-axis and year on x-axis. Legend shows Asia, South/Central America, Africa and other.
Source: Table A8.
3	Detailed information
This chapter provides data on intercountry, local and ‘known’ adoptions in Australia in 2008-09 and includes information on the country of origin of intercountry adoptees, characteristics of adopted children, their birth mothers and adoptive families and the adoption of Indigenous children. The chapter also presents data on the number of requests made for information about an adoption and the number of contact and information vetoes lodged.
3.1	Intercountry adoptions
There were 269 intercountry adoptions in 2008–09, representing 61% of all adoptions (Figure 2.1; Table 3.1). The number of intercountry adoptions was similar to the previous year, decreasing by 2 adoptions from 2007–08 (Tables A9 and A10). 
Country of origin
•	In 2008–09, 82% of intercountry adoptions were of children from Asia, 14% were from Africa, 3% were from South America and 1% from Europe (Figure 3.1). 
•	Almost three-quarters of all intercountry adoptions were from the following countries: China (23%), South Korea (17%), the Philippines (17%) and Ethiopia (14%) (Figure 3.2). 
•	Of the total number of intercountry children adopted in the past decade, 25% have come from South Korea, 22% from China and 14% from Ethiopia (Table A10).
•	In 2008–09, 51% of intercountry adoptions were Hague adoptions, an increase from 37% in 2007–08 (Table 3.1; AIHW 2009).

Figure 3.1: Intercountry adoptions, by child’s region of origin, 2008–09 
Pie chart divided into Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.
Source: Table A8.

Figure 3.2: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption and child’s country of origin, 2008–09
Vertical line chart showing per cent on y-axis and country of origin on x-axis. Legend shows Hague adoption and non-Hague adoption.
Notes
1.	‘Other’ includes adoptions from Bolivia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Hong Kong, Lithuania and Sri Lanka. 
2.	For those adoptions from China, Thailand and Hong Kong that are counted as non-Hague, the allocation process (see Figure 1.2) 	began before 1 January 2006, 1 August 2004, and 1 January 2006, respectively.
Source: Table 3.1.
	
Table 3.1: Number of intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by child’s country of origin, 2008–09
Country of origin	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
	Hague adoptions	
Bolivia	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	
China	17	4	14	3	5	5	3	—	51	
Colombia	8	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	8	
India	5	4	—	—	2	1	—	—	12	
Lithuania	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	
Philippines	18	7	9	2	5	2	2	—	45	
Sri Lanka	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	
Thailand	5	8	—	3	1	—	—	1	18	
Total Hague adoptions	57	23	23	8	13	8	5	1	138	
	Non-Hague adoptions	
Bulgaria	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	
China(a)	—	6	—	—	6	—	—	—	12	
Ethiopia	10	8	7	1	3	7	1	1	38	
Hong Kong(b)	—	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	2	
South Korea	13	10 	9	5	3	2		3	45	
Taiwan	13	—	10	—	6	—	—	3	32	
Thailand	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	
Total non-Hague adoptions	36	25	26	6	21	9	1	7	131	
Total intercountry adoptions	93	48	49	14	34	17	6	8	269	
Per cent of intercountry adoptions	34.6	17.8	18.2	5.2	12.6	6.3	2.2	3.0	100.0	
(a) 	Excludes Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province.
(b)	Special Administrative Region of China.
Note: For those adoptions from China, Thailand and Hong Kong that are counted as non-Hague, the allocation process (see Figure 1.2) began 	before 1 January 2006, 1 August 2004, and 1 January 2006, respectively.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Characteristics of adopted children
•	The majority of children in intercountry adoptions were aged under 5 years (88%). Around one-third of all adoptions were of infants less than 1 year old (37%) (Figure 3.3).
•	Children who were the subject of non-Hague adoptions were more likely to be infants—60% of non-Hague adoptions were children aged less than 1 year, compared with 15% of Hague adoptions (Table A11).
•	A slightly higher proportion of females than males were adopted (52% compared with 48%) (Table A3).
•	The majority of intercountry adoptions were of single children, but 9% of children were adopted as part of a sibling group. Similar numbers of sibling groups were adopted through Hague and non-Hague adoptions (Table A12). 
	
Figure 3.3: Intercountry adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09 
Vertical bar chart showing per cent y-axis and age group on x-axis. 
Source: Table A3.

Administration of Hague adoptions
•	In 2008–09, 54% of children who were the subject of Hague adoptions entered Australia under guardianship orders, and then had their adoption orders finalised in Australia. The remaining 46% of children entered Australia under full adoption orders made in their country of origin (Table A13). 
•	Of those children entering Australia under guardianship orders, 61% were from the Philippines, almost one-quarter (24%) were from Thailand and 15% were from India (Table A13).

Characteristics of adoptive families
•	Three out of five adoptive parents (61%) were aged 40 years and over (Figure 3.4). 
•	Nearly all intercountry adoptions were made by couples in a registered marriage (96%) (Table 3.2).
•	Slightly more children were adopted into families with no other children as into families with children (53% compared with 47%). Prior to the adoption almost one-third of the adoptive families had adopted children only (31%), and a further 9% had biological children only (Table 3.3).
•	The types of families children were adopted into were similar across Hague and 
non-Hague adoptions (Table 3.3). 
Figure 3.4: Intercountry adoptions, by age of adoptive parent(s), 2008–09 
Vertical bar chart showing per cent on y-axis and age group on x-axis. Legend shows adoptive mother and adoptive father.
Source: Table A14.

Table 3.2: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by marital status of the adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Marital status of the
adoptive parent(s)	Hague adoption		Non-Hague adoption		All intercountry adoptions	
	Number 	Per cent		Number 	Per cent		Number 	Per cent	
Registered married couples	133	96.4		124	94.7		257	95.5	
De facto married couples	1	0.7		—	—		1	0.4	
Single person(a)	4	2.9		7	5.3		11	4.1	
Total	138	100.0		131	100.0		269	100.0	
(a)	May include widowed parents.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.

Table 3.3: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by composition of the adoptive family, 2008–09
Composition of the 
adoptive family	Hague adoption		Non-Hague adoption		All intercountry adoptions	
	Number 	Per cent		Number 	Per cent		Number 	Per cent	
No other children in the family	48	59.3		45	47.4		93	52.8	
Biological children only	8	9.9		7	7.4		15	8.5	
Adopted children only	22	27.2		33	34.7		55	31.3	
Both biological and adopted children	3	3.7		10	10.5		13	7.4	
Total(a)	81	100.0		95	100.0		176	100.0	
(a)	Excludes adoptions from New South Wales (NSW), which was unable to report on composition of family. 
Note:  Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Other intercountry adoptions
One type of intercountry adoption is excluded from this collection, as it falls outside the jurisdiction of the Australian state and territory departments responsible for adoption. These are adoptions by Australian citizens or permanent residents who have lived overseas for 
12 months or more and have adopted a child through an overseas agency or government authority. In such cases, the prospective adoptive parents are required to prove that they were not living overseas for the purpose of bypassing the legal requirements for the entry of adopted children into Australia, and that they have lawfully acquired full parental rights in adopting the child. The child is then required to have an adoption-specific visa in order to enter Australia.
In 2008–09, there were 112 such visas issued for children who were adopted through an overseas agency/authority, and whose adoptive parents lived overseas for 12 months or more (Table A15). This was a 12% increase from 2007–08, when 100 visas were issued (AIHW 2009:18). In 2008–09, visas for this type of adoption were issued from 33 countries, the same number as in 2007–08. 
A further 263 visas were issued for standard intercountry adoptions that were arranged by an Australian state or territory authority (Table A15). However, not all children who were issued with visas in 2008–09 would have necessarily entered Australia during that period. 

3.2	Local adoptions 
In 2008–09, there were 68 local adoptions, representing 15% of all adoptions (Table 3.4; Figure 2.1). The number of local adoptions has fluctuated over time, but has remained at a similar level since 2002–03 (between 59 and 78; see Table A5). 
Table 3.4: Local adoptions, by state and territory, 2008–09
State/territory	Number	Per cent	
New South Wales	20	29.4

Victoria	18	26.5	
Queensland	20	29.4	
Western Australia	7	10.3	
South Australia	1	1.5	
Tasmania	1	1.5	
Australian Capital Territory	1	1.5	
Northern Territory	—	—	
Australia	68	100.0	
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Characteristics of adopted children
•	All local adoptions, except two, were of children aged under 5 years (97%). Just over two-thirds of all adoptions were of infants less than 1 year old (68%) (Figure 3.5).
•	The same number of females and males were adopted (Table A3).
•	Two children (3%) were adopted as part of a sibling group (Table A12).
Figure 3.5: Local adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Vertical bar chart showing per cent on y-axis and age on x-axis. 
Source: Table A3.

Characteristics of birth mothers
•	One-quarter of the children adopted (25%) had birth mothers who were under 20 years of age. Just over one-third (37%) had birth mothers aged 20–24 years, while a further 16% had birth mothers aged 30 years or over (Figure 3.6).
•	In 2008–09, birth mothers were a similar age to those in previous years—a median age of 22.0 years (Table A16). 
•	The majority of children adopted were born to mothers who were not in a registered marriage (94%). This is a higher proportion than in previous years, and the highest recorded over the past decade (Table A18). 
Figure 3.6: Local adoptions, by age of birth mother, 2008–09
Vertical bar chart showing per cent on y-axis and age group on x-axis.
Source: Table A17.
Administration of local adoptions
•	In over three-quarters of local adoptions (77%), consent to the adoption was given by the birth mother only—this may reflect the high proportion of mothers who were not in a registered marriage at the time of birth. Almost one-fifth (19%) of local adoptions had consent from both birth parents (Table 3.5).
•	Agreements made at the time of adoption indicate that most local adoptions are now ‘open’ (66%)—this is the lowest proportion of ‘open’ adoptions recorded since 1998–99 (Table A19). Over one-third (34%) of birth parents requested ‘no contact or information exchange’ (Table 3.6). 
•	Over two-thirds (69%) of local adoptions were arranged by the state and territory government departments, and the rest (31%) were arranged by non-government agencies (Table A20).
Table 3.5: Local adoptions, by type of consent, 2008–09
Type of consent given	Number	Per cent	
From birth mother only(a) 	52	76.5	
From birth father only(b)	—	—	
From both birth parents	13	19.1	
Both birth parents’ consent dispensed/not required	3	4.4	
Total	68	100.0	
(a)	Birth father’s consent dispensed/not required.
(b)	With dispensation of birth mother’s consent. 
Note: Consent for local adoptions is usually required from both birth parents. Therefore, dispensation 
	of consent is usually only provided, by the relevant court in each state/territory, when the birth parent(s) 
	are unable to give consent themselves.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Table 3.6: Local adoptions, by type of agreement, 2008–09 
Type of agreement	Number	Per cent(a)	
Contact and information exchange	32	51.6	
Contact only	—	—	
Information exchange only	9	14.5	
No contact or information exchange	21	33.9	
Unknown(b)	6	—	
Total(a)	68	100.0	
(a)	Percentages exclude unknowns.
(b)	Includes 6 adoptions in Queensland where the type of agreement is unknown.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Characteristics of adoptive families
•	Over half (51%) of the adoptive parents were aged 40 years and over, while just under one-third (32%) were aged 35–39 years (Figure 3.7). 
•	Nearly all local adoptions were by couples who were in a registered marriage (99%) (Table 3.7).
•	More children were adopted into families with no other children than into families with children (38% compared with 32%). Just under one-quarter (23%) of the adoptive families had adopted children only, and a further 9% had biological children only 
(Table 3.8). 
Figure 3.7: Local adoptions, by age of adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Vertical bar chart showing per cent on y-axis and age group on x-axis. Legend shows adoptive mother and adoptive father.
Source: Table A14.
Table 3.7: Local adoptions, by marital status of the adoptive parent(s), 2008–09 
Marital status of the adoptive parent(s)	Number 	Per cent	
Registered married couples	67	98.5	
De facto married couples	1	1.5	
Single person(a) 	—	 —	
Total	68	100.0	
(a) 	May include widowed parents. 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table 3.8: Local adoptions, by composition of the adoptive family, 2008–09
Composition of the adoptive family	Number	Per cent	
No other children in the family	26	38.2	
Biological children only	6	8.8	
Adopted children only	16	23.5	
Both biological and adopted children	—	—	
Other(a)	20	29.4	
Total	68	100.0	
(a)	Other includes adoptions from NSW, which was unable to report on composition of family.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

3.3	‘Known’ child adoptions
There were 104 ‘known’ child adoptions in 2008–09, representing almost one-quarter (24%) of all adoptions (Figure 2.1; Table 3.9). The number of ‘known’ child adoptions has increased by 4% from 100 adoptions in 2007–08 (Table A6). In 2008–09, almost two-thirds of adoptions were by step-parents (64%), with a further one-third (34%) by carers such as foster parents (Table 3.10; Table A21). 
Table 3.9: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by state and territory, 2008–09
State/territory	Number(a)	Per cent	
New South Wales 	42	40.4	
Victoria	5	4.8	
Queensland	23	22.1	
Western Australia	22	21.2	
South Australia	 —	—	
Tasmania	5	4.8	
Australian Capital Territory	6	5.8	
Northern Territory	1	1.0	
Australia	104	100.0	
(a)	Number of adoptions includes children aged 18 years and over (see Table A22). 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Table 3.10: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by relationship of adoptive
parent(s), 2008–09
Relationship of the adoptive parent(s)	Number(a)	Per cent	
Step-parent	66	63.5	
Relative(b)	—	—	
Carer	35	33.7	
Other	3	2.9	
Total	104	100.0	
(a)	Number of adoptions includes children aged 18 years and over (see Table A22). 
(b)	Includes relatives other than step-parents.
Note: Refer to the Glossary for definitions of the ‘known’ child adoption categories.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Characteristics of adopted children 
•	Similar proportions of males and females were adopted (51% and 49% respectively) (Figure 3.8).
•	Almost two-thirds of ‘known’ child adoptions were of children aged 10 years and over (63%). Only 10% of children adopted were under 5 years of age (Figure 3.8). 
•	Children adopted by step-parents tended to be older than those adopted by other adults—68% of children in step-parent adoptions were aged 10 years and over, compared with 53% of children in non-step-parent adoptions (Table A22).
Figure 3.8: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Vertical bar chart showing per cent on y-axis and age group on x-axis. 
Source: Table A3.

3.4	Adoption of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle outlines a preference for the placement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with Indigenous people when the children are placed outside their family (Lock 1997:50). The Principle has the following order of preference for the placement of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children: with the child’s extended family, within the child’s Indigenous community, and with other Indigenous people. 
Where these options are not available or appropriate, Indigenous children may be adopted by other families. All states and territories have adopted the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle in policy and practice. In Western Australia and Victoria, legislation permits the birth parents to specify the type of adoptive family they would like for their child.
In 2008–09 there were five adoptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia—all were adopted by Indigenous parents. Of these, two were ‘known’ child adoptions where the adoptive parents had a pre-existing relationship with the child 
(for example relatives/kin or carers) and three were ‘local’ adoptions where there was no pre-existing relationship between the adoptive parents and the child. It is difficult to identify trends, as the number of adoptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children remains small, with only 72 adoptions occurring in the last 15 years (Table 3.11). 
Table 3.11: Number of Indigenous children adopted, by Indigenous 
status of adoptive parent(s), 1994–95 to 2008–09
	Indigenous status of adoptive parent(s)		
Year	Indigenous Australian	Other Australian 	Total	
1994–95	7	5	12	
1995–96	2	5	7	
1996–97	5 	2 	7	
1997–98	3	1	4	
1998–99	—	3	3	
1999–00	2	—	2	
2000–01	3	1	4	
2001–02	1	5	6	
2002–03	—	2	2	
2003–04	—	1	1	
2004–05	2	2	4	
2005–06	3	2	5	
2006–07	4	2	6	
2007–08	4	—	4	
2008–09	5	—	5	
Total	41 	31 	72	
Note: Adoptive parents are included in the ‘Indigenous Australian’ category when at least one of the 
parents identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Where the Indigenous status of the parents 
was not known, the adoption was included in the ‘Other Australian’ category. 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
3.5	Permanent care orders (Victoria only)
Permanent care orders provide an alternative to adoption in Victoria. They were introduced in 1992 to overcome the uncertainty often associated with placing children on guardianship or custody orders. Permanent care orders grant permanent guardianship and custody of a child to a third party. Unlike adoption orders, permanent care orders do not change the legal status of the child and they expire when the child turns 18 or marries. There is also provision for an application to be made to revoke or amend a permanent care order. 
The granting of a permanent care order is usually the final step in the process of permanent family placement for children who have been abused or neglected; or who are in need of care and protection for other reasons, and are unable to remain safely within the birth family. The aim of placing a child on a permanent care order is to provide an opportunity for the child to develop a stable caring relationship with nurturing caregivers, without severing the tie with the biological family. 
Since 1992–93, the number of permanent care orders granted in Victoria has fluctuated, but generally increased. In 2008–09, there were 196 permanent care orders granted, a 20% decrease from the 245 orders granted in 2007–08 (Table 3.12). A total of 2,486 permanent care orders have been granted by the Department of Human Services in Victoria since their inception in 1992.
Table 3.12: Number of permanent care orders granted in Victoria, 
1992–93 to 2008–09
Year	Males	 Females	Total	
1992–93	7	4	11	
1993–94	36	38	74	
1994–95	65	70	135	
1995–96	56	54	110	
1996–97	54	41	95	
1997–98	63	61	124	
1998–99	67	75	142	
1999–00	68	90	158	
2000–01	83	78	161	
2001–02	99	92	191	
2002–03	48	66	114	
2003–04	86	75	161	
2004–05	115	90	205	
2005–06	75	88	163	
2006–07	99	102	201	
2007–08	130	115	245	
2008–09	93	103	196	
Total	1,244	1,242	2,486	
Note: Data for 2000–01 and 2005–06 have been updated and may differ from that previously published.
Source: Victorian Government Department of Human Services.

3.6	Access to information
Adoption law in Australia has undergone significant change since the 1980s in relation to access to information, starting with Victoria’s Adoption Act 1984. Currently, all states and territories have legislation that grants certain information rights to adopted people who are aged 18 years and over, and to their adoptive and birth families. However, the extent of these rights and of the protection of the privacy of parties to the adoption varies among the jurisdictions (Appendix B.2 and B.3).
Information applications
All states and territories have established adoption information services or information and contact registers (or other similar systems). The requirements for accessing information about a past adoption differ for each jurisdiction (Appendix B.3). For example, in Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, people requesting information must attend an interview with an approved counsellor before the information can be released. 
In NSW, adopted persons and birth parents have the right to information without mandatory counselling, except when the information to be released will be distressing (such as the death of the other party). An interview is required, however, when one of the parties wishes to lodge a contact veto. In Western Australia, where a contact veto is in place, a person who wishes to gain access to information is required to be interviewed by an approved counsellor and sign an undertaking not to contact the vetoer. There are penalties of $10,000 and 12 months imprisonment for breaching an undertaking. 
The purpose of counselling is to ensure that the rights of all involved parties are fully understood and that people are made aware of some of the issues which may arise in the search and reunion process. 
Parties to an adoption may apply for access to identifying or non-identifying information. ‘Identifying information’ is information, such as the original birth certificate (adopted persons) or the amended birth certificate (birth parents), which identifies the actual person about whom the information is being sought. ‘Non-identifying information’ does not identify the person about whom the information is sought; this can include age of birth parent(s) and place of birth.
In 2008–09:
•	There were 3,607 information applications made—83% for identifying information and 17% for non-identifying information (Table 3.13). This was the highest number recorded since 2002–03 (Table A23).
•	The majority of the information applications (both identifying and non-identifying) were made by the adopted person (73% in total); 15% were made by the birth parents and 8% by other birth relatives (Table 3.13). 
•	Over three-quarters (78%) of adopted persons seeking identifying information were aged 35 years and over (Table 3.14).
•	A higher proportion of female than male adopted persons sought identifying information (57% compared with 43%) (Table 3.14). 

Table 3.13: Number of information applications lodged, by person lodging application, 2008–09
Person lodging the application	NSW	Vic(a)	Qld	WA(b)	SA	Tas	ACT	NT(b)	Australia	
	Identifying information	
Adopted person	676	494	532	220	272	69	28	39	2,330	
Adoptive mother	— 	—	— 	6(c)	2	1	2	—	11	
Adoptive father	— 	—	2	1	—	1	 —	—	4	
Birth mother	142	—	103	42(d)	49	10	7	7	360	
Birth father	15	—	2	17	10	3	3	—	50	
Other birth relative(s)	43	—	30	39	16	14	 —	3	145	
Other adoptive relative(s)	5	—	 —	2	—	 —	 —	—	7	
Child of adopted person	19	37	 —	15	17	1	 —	—	89	
Unknown	—	—	15	—	—	 —	 —	—	15	
Total	900	531	684	342	366	99	40	49	3,011	
	Non-identifying information	
Adopted person	—	—	100	176	2	—	—	39	317	
Adoptive mother	—	2	 —	5(e)	—	1	—	—	8	
Adoptive father	—	1	 —	1	—	—	—	—	2	
Birth mother	—	46	14	32(f)	—	1	—	7	100	
Birth father	—	8	 —	15	—	—	—	—	23	
Other birth relative(s)	—	85	3	38	—	1	—	3	130	
Other adoptive relative(s)	—	—	 —	1	—	—	—	—	1	
Child of adopted person	—	—	 —	12	—	—	—	—	12	
Unknown	—	—	2	1	—	—	—	—	3	
Total	—	142	119	281	2	3	—	49	596	
(a)	Victoria’s data includes 75 adopted persons who may have received information services in previous years.
(b)	In Western Australia and the Northern Territory, clients can apply for both identifying and non-identifying information in the same application. In these cases, the application is counted twice—once under ‘identifying information’ and once under ‘non-identifying information’.
(c)	Includes 5 applications lodged by both adoptive parents.
(d)	Includes 2 applications lodged by both birth parents.
(e)	Includes 4 applications lodged by both adoptive parents.
(f)	Includes 1 application lodged by both birth parents.
Notes
1.	Data predominantly relate to applicants who are party to a local adoption. Very few applicants are party to an intercountry adoption.
2.	‘Identifying information’ is information, such as the original birth certificate (adopted persons) or the amended birth certificate (birth parents), which identifies the actual person about whom the information is being sought. ‘Non-identifying information’ does not identify the person about whom the information is sought; this can include age of birth parent(s) and place of birth.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table 3.14: Adult adopted persons who lodged information applications, by Indigenous status, age and sex of applicant, 2008–09
Age group (years)	Indigenous Australians		Other Australians		Total	
	Males	Females	Persons		Males	Females	Persons(a)		Males	Females	Persons(a)	
18–19	—	—	—		21	24	45		21	24	45	
20–24	—	1	1		21	44	65		21	45	66	
25–34	—	4	4		90	102	204		90	106	208	
35–44	9	3	12		222	271	515		231	274	527	
45+	7	6	13		238	349	626		245	355	639	
Total	16	14	30		592	792(a)	1,457		608	806(a)	1,487(b)	
Total (%)	53.3	46.7	100.0		40.6	54.4	100.0		43.0	57.0	100.0	
(a)	Total includes 2 females whose age was unknown.
(b)	‘Persons’ column includes 73 persons from Queensland whose sex was unknown.
Notes
1.	NSW and South Australia were unable to provide data for this table.
2.	If Indigenous status was unknown, the person was included in the ‘Other Australians’ category. Victoria’s data included 177 people with unknown Indigenous status.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Contact and identifying information vetoes
In some cases, a party to an adoption may wish to block contact or access to information by another party to the adoption. In the case of an identifying information veto (or, in Queensland, an objection), a party to an adoption may, in some states and territories, make an application requesting that identifying information not be released to any other party to the adoption (see Appendix B.3). A contact veto can also be lodged when a person does not wish to be contacted by another party to the adoption. These vetoes are legally binding and if a person receives identifying information and goes on to contact the other party when a contact veto is in place, legal action can be taken. Contact and information vetoes can, however, be lifted by the person who lodged them. In some states and territories, vetoes have a limited life and new applications need to be lodged for vetoes to continue.
There is no provision for vetoes in Victoria. In NSW a contact veto cannot be lodged in respect of adoption orders made after 26 October 1990, and in South Australia information vetoes cannot be lodged on adoption orders made after 17 August 1989. In Western Australia, as a result of changes made in 2003, no new contact or information vetoes are permitted to be lodged. 
It is not necessary for information applications to be lodged before lodging a contact veto. For instance, contact vetoes may be lodged in relation to adoptions for which information may never be requested.
In 2008–09:
•	There were 52 contact and identifying information vetoes lodged (Table 3.15). 
•	There were 8,633 contact and identifying information vetoes in place at 30 June 2009 (Table 3.16). 
•	For both vetoes lodged in 2008–09 and vetoes in place at 30 June 2009, the large majority of vetoes were lodged by the adopted person (60% and 55% respectively) and the birth parents (35% and 41% respectively) (Tables 3.15 and 3.16). 
•	The number of vetoes lodged each year has fluctuated, but generally declined over time from a peak of 584 in 1994–95 (Table A23).
•	As in previous years, in 2008–09 the number of applications for information far exceeded the number of vetoes lodged against contact or the release of identifying information—3,607 compared with 52 (Table A23).

Table 3.15: Number of vetoes lodged in 2008–09, by person lodging veto, for selected states and territories(a) 
Person lodging the veto(b)	NSW(b,c)	Qld(b)	SA(c,d,e)	Tas(c)	ACT (c)	NT(b,d)	Total	
	Contact vetoes	
Adopted person	3	11	—	4	1	 —	19	
Adoptive mother	. .	. . 	—	 —	—	 . .	—	
Adoptive father	. .	. . 	—	— 	—	 . .	—	
Birth mother	—	1	—	2	—	3	6	
Birth father	—	— 	—	 —	—	 —	—	
Other birth relative(s)	. .	. . 	—	— 	—	 . .	—	
Other adoptive relative(s)	. .	. . 	—	 —	—	 . .	—	
Total	3	12 	—	 6	1	 3	25	
	Identifying information vetoes	
Adopted person	. .	4	8	. .	. .	. .	12	
Adoptive mother	. .	 —	2	. .	. .	. .	 2	
Adoptive father	. .	 —	1	. .	. .	. .	1	
Birth mother	. .	8	3	. .	. .	. .	11	
Birth father	. .	—	1	. .	. .	. .	1	
Other birth relative(s)	. .	—	—	. .	. .	. .	—	
Other adoptive relative(s)	. .	—	—	. .	. .	. .	—	
Total	. .	 12	15	. .	. .	. .	27	
. . 	not applicable
— 	nil or rounded to zero
(a)	Victoria is not included in the total. In Victoria, no veto system operates. In Western Australia, amendments to the Adoption Act 1994 gazetted in 2003 prohibit the placement of any new information or contact vetoes on adoptions after 1 June 2003. However, adopted persons turning 18, where adoptive parent(s) have existing contact vetoes, have 12 months in which to request the continuation of the current veto — in 2008–09 there was one such continuation granted. All existing information vetoes became ineffective on 1 June 2005.
(b) 	In some jurisdictions, only certain people may lodge a veto. In NSW, only adopted persons and birth parents may lodge a contact veto. In Queensland, contact and identifying information can be vetoed only by birth parents who signed an adoption consent before June 1991 and persons who were adopted before June 1991. In the Northern Territory, only the adopted person and birth parent(s) are able to lodge vetoes with respect to adoptions finalised before 1994. 
(c) 	The release of identifying information cannot be vetoed in NSW, Tasmania and the ACT. In Tasmania, contact veto applications were not implemented until 18 June 1999. In South Australia, people who were involved in an adoption from 
17 August 1989 cannot veto access to contact or identifying information. 
(d) 	Both contact and identifying information are vetoed in the same veto lodgement in the Northern Territory. 
(e)	A veto in South Australia is valid for only 5 years—a veto must be renewed if the applicant wants it to continue for a further 5 years. 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table 3.16: Number of vetoes in place at 30 June 2009, by person lodging veto, for selected states and territories(a) 
Person lodging the veto(b)	NSW(b,c)	Qld(b)	WA(d))	SA(c,e)	Tas(c)	ACT(c)	NT(b,e)	Total	
	Contact vetoes	
Adopted person	2,359	179	281	—	91	48	8	2,966	
Adoptive mother	. .	. .	233(f)	—	1	15	. .	249	
Adoptive father	. .	. .	10	—	3	14	. .	27	
Birth mother	1,803	75	189(g)	—	22	21	3	2,113	
Birth father	53	—	8	—	1	4	. .	66	
Other birth relative(s)	. .	. .	3	—	2	 3	. .	8	
Other adoptive relative(s)	. .	. .	1	—	1	. .	. .	2	
Total	4,215	 254	725	—	 121	105	11	5,431	
	Identifying information vetoes	
Adopted person	. .	1,563	. .	253	. .	. .	. .	1,816	
Adoptive mother	. .	—	. .	18	. .	. .	. .	18	
Adoptive father	. .	—	. .	12	. .	. .	. .	12	
Birth mother	. .	1,175	. .	168	. .	 . . 	. .	1,343	
Birth father	. .	5	. .	6	. .	. .	. .	11	
Other birth relative(s)	. .	—	. .	—	. .	. .	. .	—	
Other adoptive relative(s)	. .	—	. .	—	. .	. .	. .	—	
Unknown	. .	2	. .	. .	. .	. .	. .	2	
Total	. .	2,745	. .	457	. .	. .	. .	3,202	
. . 	not applicable
— 	nil or rounded to zero
(a)	Victoria is not included in the total, as no veto system operates in that state.
(b) 	In some jurisdictions, only certain people may lodge a veto. In NSW, only adopted persons and birth parents may lodge a contact veto. In Queensland, contact and identifying information can be vetoed only by birth parents who signed an adoption consent before June 1991 and persons who were adopted before June 1991. In the Northern Territory, only the adopted person and birth parent(s) are able to lodge vetoes with respect to adoptions finalised before 1994. 
(c) 	The release of identifying information cannot be vetoed in NSW, Tasmania and the ACT. In Tasmania, contact veto applications were not implemented until 18 June 1999. In South Australia, people who were involved in an adoption from 
17 August 1989 cannot veto access to contact or identifying information. 
(d)	In Western Australia, amendments to the Adoption Act 1994 gazetted in 2003 prohibit the placement of any new information or contact vetoes on adoptions after 1 June 2003. However, adopted persons turning 18, where adoptive parent(s) have existing contact vetoes, have 12 months in which to request the continuation of the current veto. All existing information vetoes became ineffective on 1 June 2005.
(e) 	Both contact and identifying information are vetoed in the same veto lodgement in the Northern Territory. 
(f)	Includes 197 vetoes lodged by both adoptive parents.
(g)	Includes 9 vetoes lodged by both birth parents.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
4	Discussion of key findings
This report, as with previous editions, presents the latest available data on adoptions of Australian children and those from overseas, while also highlighting important changes in adoption trends over the last few decades. The main findings are discussed below.
National patterns and trends
In 2008–09, there were 441 adoptions in Australia—an increase of one adoption from the previous year. The total number of adoptions has remained relatively stable since the late 1990s; however, there has been a 22-fold decrease in adoptions since the peak in the early 1970s (from 9,798 to 441 adoptions between 1971–72 and 2008–09). Almost all of this decline in numbers (96%) occurred between 1972–73 and 1992–93. 
As intercountry adoptions constituted only a very small proportion of all adoptions until the mid-1980s, the overall decline in the last 25 years can be attributed to the fall in the number of adoptions of Australian children (comprising local and ‘known’ child adoptions)—a 
12-fold decline since 1984–85. This change reflects the decline in the number of Australian children who are legally able to be adopted, and require an adoption. 
Various medical, social and legislative factors have contributed to this trend. The availability of more effective birth control, together with the emergence of family planning centres and sex education classes, has had a substantial impact in reducing the number of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies (ABS 1998). 
The increasing social acceptance of raising children outside registered marriage and increased levels of support available to lone parents have also reduced the pressure on unmarried women to give up their children for adoption. This coincides with an increasing number of women in the workforce and more affordable and accessible child care facilities, further improving women’s ability to support a family on their own (ABS 1998). 
Legislative changes introduced by state and territory departments over the last two decades have also facilitated a greater use of alternative legal orders, often replacing the need for adoption orders (AIHW: Bentley & Broadbent 1997; see also Appendix B.1). These orders, such as permanent care orders in Victoria, transfer permanent guardianship and custody of a child to a person other than the parent (in most cases, to relatives or carers who the child is currently living with). 
Declining fertility rates may reflect a general change in individual preferences and social trends with regards to having children and family size. Furthermore, for some people unable to conceive a child naturally, the recent development of assisted reproduction technologies, such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), may have negated the need for adoption (ABS 1998). 
The relatively stable number of total adoptions over the past five years is a reflection of the slight increase in the number of local adoptions in conjunction with a gradual decline in the number of intercountry adoptions. 

Characteristics of adopted children 
Children in local adoptions tend to be younger than children adopted from other countries— in 2008–09, over two-thirds of the local adoptions were of infants (aged under 1 year), compared with around one-third of children adopted from other countries. This may reflect the more lengthy process to adopt a child from another country compared with adopting a child within Australia—specifically, for intercountry adoptions there is a longer process between identifying and allocating an adoptive child, through to finalising the adoption order. 
It may also be that children identified by intercountry organisations as needing adoption tend to be older. Children in non-Hague intercountry adoptions tended to be younger than those in Hague intercountry adoptions—this may reflect the different processes used for these categories of adoption. 
The number of infants available for intercountry adoption can be affected by factors such as overseas domestic adoption practices and acceptance of single motherhood in countries involved in intercountry adoption. In some countries (for example China) domestic adoption and support for single motherhood is increasing, leading to fewer infants being placed for intercountry adoption. In South Korea, for example, a strong stigma against single motherhood remains, resulting in a higher proportion of infants being placed for intercountry adoption from this country.
In contrast, Australian children from ‘known’ child adoptions tend to be much older than other children adopted—only 10% of ‘known’ child adoptions were of children under the age of 5 years. This reflects departmental policies and practices regarding the ‘known’ child’s age and the length of time the prospective parent(s) have had a relationship with the child (see Appendix B.1). The older age of children in ‘known’ child adoptions is also driven by the high proportion of adoptions by step-parents (64% of all ‘known’ adoptions)—children adopted by step-parents tend to be older than those adopted by other adults. 
Although the number of children identified as being in need of intercountry adoption has declined, particularly young infant children with uncomplicated medical backgrounds, the proportion of children that are older and have special needs is increasing (AGD 2009c).
The Baby Bonus (formerly named the Maternity Payment) is an Australian Government payment made to families following the birth of a baby or adoption of a child under 16 years of age, on or after 1 January 2009, in recognition of the costs incurred for a new child. The payment is made in 13 fortnightly instalments (FAO 2009). In 2008–09, 99% of children in both local and intercountry adoptions were under 16 years of age when they were placed with their adoptive parent(s) (Table A3). Before 2009 the bonus was a lump sum payment that was only paid for adopted children less than two years of age. 
In 2008–09, over three-quarters of children in local adoptions had birth mothers who were aged under 30 years. The median age of adopted children’s birth mothers in 
2008–09 was 22.0 years, almost 9 years lower than that of all mothers giving birth in 2008 (30.7 years). However, it was around 5 years lower than that of all unmarried mothers giving birth in 2008 (27.0 years), which reflects the fact that the majority of children in local adoptions are born to women who are not in a registered marriage (94% in 2008–09) 
(Table A16; ABS 2009a). This coincides with patterns of decreasing registered marriages and increasing de facto relationships in the general population (ABS 2009b). 
Characteristics of adoptive families 
Among local and intercountry adoptions, nearly all adoptive parents were couples in registered marriages—this reflects the criteria used to assess the eligibility of prospective adoptive parents by local authorities and overseas partners. Each overseas partner has their own eligibility criteria which applies in addition to state and territory criteria. Increasingly fewer programs permit applications from single applicants. For local and intercountry adoptions, only registered married couples are allowed to adopt in Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, whereas registered and de facto married couples are eligible in all other jurisdictions. Same-sex couples can also adopt in Western Australia and the ACT, and ‘known’ child adoptions are available for same-sex couples in Tasmania. The circumstances under which single people can apply to adopt vary for each state and territory, with most accepting applications only under special circumstances. Special circumstances may include a prior longstanding relationship with the child with adoption deemed to be in the child’s best interests, or adoption of a child with special needs where the single applicant has special skills needed to parent the child (such as expertise in working with children with a disability, or nursing). 
Among local and intercountry adoptions, six in ten adoptive parents were aged 40 years and over. Adoptive parents of children from overseas tended to be older than those for local adoptions, with 61% of parents aged 40 years and over (compared with 51%). 
Family composition was quite similar across local and intercountry adoptions—before adoption, around half of the adoptive families had no children (54% and 53%, respectively), around one-third had adopted children only (33% and 31%, respectively) and around one‑tenth had biological children only (13% and 9%, respectively).
Access to information
Changes in Australian adoption procedures since World War II have ‘paralleled a shift in social attitudes from one in which adoptions were regarded as providing a service for adults (childless couples and young lone mothers) to one in which the wellbeing of children has become paramount’ (ABS 1998:33). Changes allowing relevant parties access to information about their biological relatives reflect this trend.
Overall, local adoptions have changed from a guarded practice, where files were sealed and parties to the adoption had no contact with each other, to a more open practice which can involve access to information or contact between the parties. Over the last decade, the proportion of local adoptions where the birth and adoptive families have some type of contact has fluctuated between 66% and 95% (Table A19). 
Inquiry into overseas adoptions
In November 2005, a report was released on the inquiry into the adoption of children from overseas by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human Services (HRSCFHS 2005). The report included 27 recommendations designed to improve the system of intercountry adoption in Australia. The Australian Government has already implemented many of these recommendations, including:
•	the creation of the Intercountry Adoption Branch of the Attorney-General’s Department to manage Australia’s overseas adoption programs 
•	the establishment of the National Intercountry Adoption Advisory Group (formerly National Peak Overseas Adoption Support Group) 
•	the passing of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, which provides another option for children whose adoption has been finalised under full and permanent Hague Convention arrangements to obtain Australian citizenship.
The Australian Government is working to implement all of the remaining accepted recommendations, most of which are ongoing, to ensure the best outcomes for children in need of intercountry adoption and for Australian families (AGD 2009d).
International comparisons 
The overall patterns and trends in adoptions in Australia show some similarities to, but also some differences from, those in other developed countries for which data are readily available. However, please note that adoption legislation and practice may differ across countries (and even within countries).
As in Australia, the total number of adoptions has also been falling over the last two decades in New Zealand, England/Wales, Scotland and Ireland (Stats NZ 1987, 1998, 2006: National Statistics 2007; Scottish Executive 2004; Adoption Authority of Ireland 2008). However, in Norway the number of adoptions has remained relatively stable over this period (Stats Norway 2009a). 
The proportion of intercountry adoptions in Australia (61% in 2008–09) is similar to that in Norway (59% in 2007) and Switzerland (67% in 2008), but higher than in Ireland (49%) and New Zealand (45% in 2005). Australia is also similar to Norway in that most intercountry adoptions are of children from Asian countries, though this is slightly more predominant in Australia—around 55% in Norway in 2007, compared with 81% in Australia in 2008–09 (Adoption Authority of Ireland 2008, Stats Norway 2009b, Swiss Federal Statistics Office 2009). 
In a longitudinal study of 23 ‘receiving’ countries, Selman (2009) estimated that the global number of intercountry adoptions grew by around 18% between 1998 and 2007—with the largest increases in Spain and Italy. Over this period, the number of children adopted from some key ‘sending’ countries declined (such as China, South Korea and Russia), while children adopted from other countries have increased (particularly Guatemala, Ethiopia and Vietnam) (Selman 2009).
Adjustment following adoption
Children who are adopted from overseas must adjust to both a new family environment and new cultural environment with a different language, food and customs. Factors affecting a child’s adjustment to adoption include the child’s age and characteristics, experiences prior to adoption and the adoptive family’s characteristics (Rutter & Taylor 2002). Evidence suggests that in 75–80% of intercountry adoptions children and adolescents tend to function well, with no more behavioural and education problems at home or school than other children, and that they have close and mutually satisfying relationships with their parents (Tizard 1991). Conversely, 20–25% of international adoptees are likely to experience some adjustment problems.
Findings on the effect of age at adoption on the development of potential problems for international adoptees are mixed. Children adopted at later ages (around school age) have been found to have more family and educational difficulties, be more vulnerable to adjustment problems, to have high rates of insecure and unusual attachment patterns, behaviour problems, inattention/hyperactivity and autistic symptoms (Tizard 1991; Rutter & Taylor 2002). In contrast, a meta-analysis by Juffer & Ijzendoorn (2005) found that the age at which children are adopted plays no role in the development of potential problems in the case of international adoptees, but behavioural problems occur more often during the primary school period than at puberty.
Many international adoptions are transracial adoptions (Miller 2005). Research has found that the vast majority of these children are well adjusted, have positive relationships with parents and do not suffer from psychological or behaviour problems or low self-esteem. 
Many children adopted from overseas have spent time in orphanages, which can only provide a basic level of care (HRSCFHS 2005). As a result, these children are at increased risk of health problems such as infectious diseases, toxic exposures, nutritional deficiencies, growth and developmental delays, and emotional disorders. These children may also show delays in nonverbal social communication, developmental behaviours and adaptive behaviours (Miller & Hendrie 2000; Finn 2006). The longer the duration of institutional care the greater the chances of adjustment problems (Bornstein 2002). Similarly, children who have been the subject of adverse experiences such as abuse, poverty and rejection have been found to be more susceptible to behavioural problems (Rutter & Taylor 2002). 
In both local and intercountry adoptions, the quality of relationships in the adoptive family can affect the adoptive child’s adjustment. As with all families, personal, marital or family instability have been found to correlate with disturbance among adopted children. Findings are mixed regarding the effect of the composition of the sibling environment (number, age and relationship of child to parent) on the adjustment of the adoptive child (Howe 1998).
Adoptive parents may experience a range of emotions in the post-adoptive period including joy, depression, anxiety, negative or ambivalent feelings. Parents may also suffer from stress or emotional problems if their adopted child displays difficult or challenging behaviours or has unexpected medical problems (Miller 2005). In contrast, parents who adopt children with special needs—developmental or physical disabilities or chronic medical conditions—who are fully informed about their child’s condition are able to more realistically anticipate problems and have been found to have more positive adjustment outcomes (Bornstein 2002).
Appendix A	Statistical tables
Table A1: Number of children legally adopted, by state and territory, 1970–71 to 2008–09
Year	NSW(a)	Vic	Qld(b)	WA	SA	Tas	ACT(b)	NT	Australia	
1970–71	3,275	2,057	1,562	301	879	289	122	68	8,553	
1971–72	4,539	1,768	1,774	457	776	303	127	54	9,798	
1972–73	3,315	1,765	1,678	717	649	268	121	29	8,542	
1973–74	1,936	1,557	1,458	783	558	268	120	25	6,705	
1974–75	1,799	1,168	1,394	528	551	243	123	33	5,839	
1975–76	1,449	1,032	1,112	531	549	211	87	19	4,990	
1976–77	1,770	908	1,014	497	658	185	82	74	5,188	
1977–78	1,068	951	660	417	506	164	55	46	3,867	
1978–79	1,020	956	563	380	415	173	56	40	3,603	
1979–80	853	914	450	387	475	148	85	25	3,337	
1980–81	794	711	454	305	505	140	74	35	3,018	
1981–82	855	753	467	261	396	119	81	39	2,971	
1982–83	926	692	555	270	424	117	59	29	3,072	
1983–84	698	686	517	250	438	87	51	43	2,770	
1984–85	623	631	331	293	222	97	74	23	2,294	
1985–86(c)	n.a.	n.a.	359	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	
1986–87(c)	n.a.	n.a.	334	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	
1987–88	280	114	309	191	416	120	36	28	1,494	
1988–89	335	288	353	147	221	85	47	25	1,501	
1989–90	360	212	278	128	174	71	50	21	1,294	
1990–91	329	258	210	136	103	61	25	20	1,142	
1991–92	310	185	232	120	112	58	23	12	1,052	
1992–93	209	101	222	87	111	23	20	10	783	
1993–94	188	112	206	85	106	37	21	9	764	
1994–95	260	145	179	127	108	12	18	6	855	
1995–96	204	131	170	75	48	17	19	4	668	
1996–97	263	123	129	56	79	30	26	3	709	
1997–98	200	114	111	69	48	19	15	1	577	
1998–99	185	102	94	64	53	25	16	6	543	
1999–00	154	122	105	79	59	19	24	4	566	
2000–01	166	98	62	74	53	24	27	10	514	
2001–02	207	110	49	79	62	20	23	11	561	
2002–03	122	82	67	76	72	21	25	7	472	
2003–04	115	120	65	59	79	26	33	5	502	
2004–05	154	161	84	49	77	23	20	17	585	
2005–06	149	131	82	62	72	35	30	15	576	
2006–07	164	127	91	65	62	26	22	11	568	
2007–08	125	98	86	41	36	31	14	9	440	
2008–09	155	71	92	43	35	23	13	9	441	
(a)	NSW was unable to provide data on adoptions by step-parents from 1987–88 to 1993–94.
(b)	Data for 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1998–99 may differ from previous reports because of updated figures.
(c)	National data were not collected in 1985–86 and 1986–87.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection; AIHW: Wilkinson & Angus 1993:18.
Table A2: Placement adoptions—number of children who were placed for adoption, regardless of whether the adoption order was finalised, 2008–09
Type of adoption	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Local placement	12	19 	21	10	1	2	3	2	70	
Intercountry placement										
Hague adoption	56	22	 24	8	13	7	7	—	137	
Non-Hague adoption	28	24	20	7	18	5	6	2	110	
Total	96	65	65	25	32	14	16	4	317	
Note: This table includes children placed with their adoptive families before their adoption order was finalised. Some children placed for adoption during this period may not have their adoption finalised until the following year. In addition, some adoption orders finalised in 2008–09 may relate to children who were placed in the previous year. Therefore, numbers do not sum to total adoptions recorded during 2008–09 (441).
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Table A3: Adoptions, by type of adoption, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Age
group (years)	Intercountry adoptions		Local adoptions		‘Known’ child 
adoptions		Total	
	M	F	P		M	F	P		M	F	P		M	F	P 	
	Number	
Under 1	48	52	100		22	24	46		1	1	2		71	77	148	
1–4	66	71	137		11	9	20		3	5	8		80	85	165	
5–9	12	17	29		—	—	—		18	11	29		30	28	58	
10–14	—	1	1		1	—	1		16	14	30		17	15	32	
15	1	—	1		—	—	—		—	3	3		1	3	4	
16–17	—	—	—		—	1	1		9	14	23		9	15	24	
18+	1	—	1		—	—	—		6	3	9		7	3	10	
Total	128	141	269		34	34	68		53	51	104		215	226	441	
	Per cent	
Under 1	37.5	36.9	37.2		64.7	70.6	67.6		1.9	2.0	1.9		33.0	34.1	33.6	
1–4	51.6	50.4	50.9		32.4	26.5	29.4		5.7	9.8	7.7		37.2	37.6	37.4	
5–9	9.4	12.1	10.8		—	—	—		34.0	21.6	27.9		14.0	12.4	13.2	
10–14	—	0.7	0.4		2.9	—	1.5		30.2	27.5	28.8		7.9	6.6	7.3	
15	0.8	—	0.4		—	—	—		—	5.9	2.9		0.5	1.3	0.9	
16–17	—	—	—		—	2.9	1.5		17.0	27.5	22.1		4.2	6.6	5.4	
18+	0.8	—	0.4		—	—	—		11.3	5.9	8.7		3.3	1.3	2.3	
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	100.0	100.0	
M = males, F = females, P = persons
Notes
1.	The age groups in this table have been selected to correspond with the eligibility requirements of the Baby Bonus—families are entitled to this payment following the adoption of a child under 16 years of age. Refer to Characteristics of adopted children in Chapter 4 for more information.
2.	Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.
3.	For local and intercountry adoptions, ’age of child’ refers to the age of the adopted child at the date of placement with the adoptive parent(s); for ‘known’ child adoptions, ‘age of child’ refers to the age of the adopted child at the date the adoption order was granted.
4.	Refer to the Glossary for definitions of the various adoption categories. 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Table A4: Adoptions in Australia, by type of adoption, 1984–85 to 2008–09
Year	Children adopted from Australia		Children adopted from overseas		Total(a)	
	Number	Per cent		Number 	Per cent		Number 	Per cent	
1984–85	2,045	89.1		235	10.2		2,294	100.0	
1985–86	n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.	
1986–87	n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.	
1987–88	1,183	79.2		308(b)	20.6		1,494	100.0	
1988–89	1,106	73.7		394	26.2		1,501	100.0	
1989–90	874	67.5		420	32.5		1,294	100.0	
1990–91	749	65.6		393	34.4		1,142	100.0	
1991–92	713	67.8		338	32.1		1,052	100.0	
1992–93	556	71.0		227	29.0		783	100.0	
1993–94	542	70.9		222	29.1		764	100.0	
1994–95	631	73.8		224	26.2		855	100.0	
1995–96	394	59.0		274	41.0		668	100.0	
1996–97	440	62.1		269	37.9		709	100.0	
1997–98	332	57.5		245	42.5		577	100.0	
1998–99	299	55.1		244	44.9		543	100.0	
1999–00	265	46.8		301	53.2		566	100.0	
2000–01	225	43.8		289	56.2		514	100.0	
2001–02	267	47.6		294	52.4		561	100.0	
2002–03	194	41.1		278	58.9		472	100.0	
2003–04	132	26.3		370	73.7		502	100.0	
2004–05	151	25.8		434	74.2		585	100.0	
2005–06	155	26.9		421	73.1		576	100.0	
2006–07	163	28.7		405	71.3		568	100.0	
2007–08	170	38.6		270	61.4		440	100.0	
2008–09	172	39.0		269	61.0		441	100.0	
(a)	Includes children of unknown country of origin. Therefore numbers and percentages for subcategories may not add to those for total. 
(b) 	Excludes Victoria for which data were not available.
Notes
1.	National data were not collected in 1985–86 and 1986–87.
2.	NSW was unable to provide data on adoptions by step-parents from 1987–88 to 1993–94. 
Sources: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection; AIHW: Wilkinson & Angus 1993:20–1. 

Table A5: Number of local adoptions, by state and territory, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
1998–99	50	30	22	6	6	11	1	1	127	
1999–00	31	34	24	10	3	2	2	—	106	
2000–01	28	28	9	6	5	5	2	2	85	
2001–02	54	22	10	13	3	2	3	—	107	
2002–03	22	20	23	6	3	3	1	—	78	
2003–04	24	23	14	3	6	1	2	—	73	
2004–05	24	16	13	4	2	2	3	1	65	
2005–06	23	17	8	9	—	2	1	—	60	
2006–07	12	18	12	8	5	3	1	—	59	
2007–08	15	27	17	3	1	3	3	1	70	
2008–09	20	18	20	7	1	1	1	—	68	
Note: Changes to the categories of adoption introduced in 1998–99 limit the amount of trend data available for ‘local’ adoptions 
	(see Section 1.1). 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Table A6: Number of ‘known’ child adoptions, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
1998–99	78	13	36	38	2	2	2	1	172	
1999–00	68	12	21	43	—	4	11	—	159	
2000–01	53	10	13	48	4	5	7	—	140	
2001–02	82	14	6	37	5	2	11	3	160	
2002–03	39	3	15	46	1	3	9	—	116	
2003–04	25	11	2	12	1	3	5	—	59	
2004–05	42	13	6	16	1	3	5	—	86	
2005–06	33	10	13	17	3	7	9	3	95	
2006–07	40	14	16	17	1	12	3	1	104	
2007–08	37	5	22	21	3	5	6	1	100	
2008–09	42	5	23	22	—	5	6	1	104	
Note: Changes to the categories of adoption introduced in 1998–99 limit the amount of trend data available for ‘known’ child adoptions 
	(see Section 1.1).
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.

Table A7: Adoptions of Australian children, by relationship to adoptive parent(s), 1984–85 to 
2008–09
Year	Adopted by relatives		Adopted by non-relatives		Total(a)	
	Number	Per cent		Number 	Per cent		Number 	Per cent	
1984–85	1,157	56.6		888	43.4		2,045	100.0	
1985–86	n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.	
1986–87	n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.		n.a.	n.a.	
1987–88	605	51.1		578	48.9		1,183	100.0	
1988–89	500	45.2		606	54.8		1,106	100.0	
1989–90	327	37.4		547	62.6		874	100.0	
1990–91	277	37.0		472	63.0		749	100.0	
1991–92	295	41.4		418	58.6		713	100.0	
1992–93	250	45.0		306	55.0		556	100.0	
1993–94	228	42.1		314	57.9		542	100.0	
1994–95	320	50.7		311	49.3		631	100.0	
1995–96	177	44.9		217	55.1		394	100.0	
1996–97	177	40.2		263	59.8		440	100.0	
1997–98	154	46.4		178	53.6		332	100.0	
1998–99	124	41.5		175	58.5		299	100.0	
1999–00	116	43.8		149	56.2		265	100.0	
2000–01	102	45.3		114	50.7		225	100.0	
2001–02	108	40.4		159	59.6		267	100.0	
2002–03	74	38.1		107	55.2		194	100.0	
2003–04	34	25.8		98	74.2		132	100.0	
2004–05	57	37.7		94	62.3		151	100.0	
2005–06	74	47.7		81	52.3		155	100.0	
2006–07	82	50.3		81	49.7		163	100.0	
2007–08	74	43.5		96	56.5		170	100.0	
2008–09	69	40.1		103	59.9		172	100.0	
(a)	For 2000–01 and 2002–03, the total includes adoptions involving children with an unknown relationship to the adoptive parent(s). Therefore numbers and percentages for subcategories may not add to those for the total. 
Notes
1.	The total number of adoptions in 2008–09 (172) includes the sum of local adoptions (68) and known adoptions (104).
2.	‘Relatives’ includes step-parents, other relatives such as grandparents, aunts and uncles and commissioning (surrogate) parents. 
‘Non-relatives’ includes foster carers and other non-relatives.
3.	National data were not collected in 1985–86 and 1986–87.
4.	NSW was unable to provide data on adoptions by step-parents from 1987–88 to 1993–94. 
Sources: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection; AIHW: Wilkinson & Angus 1993:20–1. 

Table A8: Intercountry adoptions, by child’s region of origin, 1990–91 to 2008–09
	Asia		South/Central America		Africa		Other		Total	
	Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent	
1990–91	344	87.5		32	8.1		2	0.5		15	3.8		393	100.0	
1991–92	269	79.6		41	12.1		3	0.9		25	7.4		338	100.0	
1992–93	158	69.6		58	25.6		1	0.4		10	4.4		227	100.0	
1993–94	171	77.0		38	17.1		3	1.4		10	4.5		222	100.0	
1994–95	171	76.3		35	15.6		2	0.9		16	7.1		224	100.0	
1995–96	191	69.7		62	22.6		6	2.2		15	5.5		274	100.0	
1996–97	197	73.2		38	14.1		16	5.9		18	6.7		269	100.0	
1997–98	154	62.9		29	11.8		37	15.1		25	10.2		245	100.0	
1998–99	157	64.3		20	8.2		34	13.9		33	13.5		244	100.0	
1999–00	186	61.8		24	8.0		46	15.3		45	15.0		301	100.0	
2000–01	197	68.2		27	9.3		37	12.8		28	9.7		289	100.0	
2001–02	231	78.6		18	6.1		37	12.6		8	2.7		294	100.0	
2002–03	224	80.6		12	4.3		40	14.4		2	0.7		278	100.0	
2003–04	316	85.4		7	1.9		45	12.2		2	0.5		370	100.0	
2004–05	363	83.6		5	1.2		59	13.6		7	1.6		434	100.0	
2005–06	339	80.5		11	2.6		70	16.6		1	0.2		421	100.0	
2006–07	343	84.7		8	2.0		47	11.6		7	1.7		405	100.0	
2007–08	229	84.8		5	1.9		36	13.3		—	—		270	100.0	
2008–09	219	81.4		9	3.3		38	14.1		3	1.1		269	100.0	
Note: ‘Other’ includes Europe, North America and Oceania.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.

Table A9: Number of intercountry adoptions, by state and territory, 1990–91 to 2008–09
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
1990–91	162	105	25	22	43	16	16	4	393	
1991–92	145	67	27	24	50	13	10	2	338	
1992–93	95	37	19	14	40	9	9	4	227	
1993–94	89	30	26	16	34	14	10	3	222	
1994–95	85	59	21	9	35	2	9	4	224	
1995–96	105	57	37	29	29	9	4	4	274	
1996–97	81	56	41	13	49	15	12	2	269	
1997–98	69	64	43	14	37	8	10	—	245	
1998–99	57	59	36	20	45	12	11	4	244	
1999–00	55	76	60	26	56	13	11	4	301	
2000–01	85	60	40	20	44	14	18	8	289	
2001–02	71	74	33	29	54	16	9	8	294	
2002–03	61	59	29	24	68	15	15	7	278	
2003–04	66	86	49	44	72	22	26	5	370	
2004–05	88	132	65	29	74	18	12	16	434	
2005–06	93	104	61	36	69	26	20	12	421	
2006–07	112	95	63	40	56	11	18	10	405	
2007–08	73	66	47	17	32	23	5	7	270	
2008–09	93	48	49	14	34	17	6	8	269	
Notes
1. 	Data for years before 1990–91 are included in previous editions of this publication. 
2.	Before 1998–99, ‘intercountry adoptions’ were referred to as ‘adoptions of overseas-born children by non-relatives’.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.

Table A10: Intercountry adoptions, by country of origin, 1999–00 to 2008–09 
Country of birth	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	Total	
	Number	
China(a)	1	15	39	46	112	140	116	125	63	63	720	
Colombia	17	15	9	7	7	3	9	5	3	8	83	
Ethiopia	46	37	36	39	45	59	70	47	35	38	452	
Fiji	5	3	5	—	1	1	1	—	—	—	16	
Guatemala	2	3	6	4	—	1	1	2	—	—	19	
Hong Kong(b)	3	3	10	4	4	3	4	9	4	2	46	
India	37	40	40	33	29	31	34	25	27	12	308	
Lithuania	—	—	—	—	—	5	—	2	—	2	9	
Philippines	29	18	12	18	29	48	42	45	41	45	327	
Romania	36	22	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	61	
South Korea	77	75	93	101	98	96	103	80	47	45	815	
Sri Lanka	3	4	3	2	2	2	3	5	6	1	31	
Taiwan	2	6	6	3	3	10	10	26	22	32	120	
Thailand	33	35	28	17	39	31	27	28	19	19	276	
Other(c)	10	13	5	3	1	4	1	6	3	2	48	
Total 	301	289	294	278	370	434	421	405	270	269	3,331	
	Per cent	
China(a)	0.3	5.2	13.3	16.5	30.3	32.3	27.6	30.9	23.3	23.4	21.6	
Colombia	5.6	5.2	3.1	2.5	1.9	0.7	2.1	1.2	1.1	3.0	2.5	
Ethiopia	15.3	12.8	12.2	14.0	12.2	13.6	16.6	11.6	13.0	14.1	13.6	
Fiji	1.7	1.0	1.7	—	0.3	0.2	0.2	—	—	—	0.5	
Guatemala	0.7	1.0	2.0	1.4	—	0.2	0.2	0.5	—	—	0.6	
Hong Kong(b)	1.0	1.0	3.4	1.4	1.1	0.7	1.0	2.2	1.5	0.7	1.4	
India	12.3	13.8	13.6	11.9	7.8	7.1	8.1	6.2	10.0	4.5	9.2	
Lithuania	—	—	—	—	—	1.2	—	0.5	—	0.7	0.3	
Philippines	9.6	6.2	4.1	6.5	7.8	11.1	10.0	11.1	15.2	16.7	9.8	
Romania	12.0	7.6	0.7	0.4	—	—	—	—	—	—	1.8	
South Korea	25.6	26.0	31.6	36.3	26.5	22.1	24.5	19.8	17.4	16.7	24.5	
Sri Lanka	1.0	1.4	1.0	0.7	0.5	0.5	0.7	1.2	2.2	0.4	0.9	
Taiwan	0.7	2.1	2.0	1.1	0.8	2.3	2.4	6.4	8.1	11.9	3.6	
Thailand	11.0	12.1	9.5	6.1	10.5	7.1	6.4	6.9	7.0	7.1	8.3	
Other(c)	3.3	4.5	1.7	1.1	0.3	0.9	0.2	1,5	1.1	0.7	1.4	
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	
(a) 	Excludes Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province.
(b)	Special Administrative Region of China.
(c)	‘Other’ includes: Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chile, Croatia, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Tonga, Uganda, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Table A11: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Age group (years)	Hague intercountry adoptions		Non-Hague intercountry adoptions	 	
	Males	Females	Persons		Males	Females	Persons		Total	
	Number	
Under 1 	6	15	21		42	37	79		100	
1–4	50	50	100		16	21	37		137	
5–9	6	8	14		6	9	15		29	
10–14	—	1	1		—	—	—		1	
15	1	—	1		—	—	—		1	
16–17	—	—	—		—	—	—		—	
18+	1	—	1		—	—	—		1	
Total	64	74	138		64	67	131		269	
	Per cent	
Under 1 	9.4	20.3	15.2		65.6	55.2	60.3		37.2	
1–4	78.1	67.6	72.5		25.0	31.3	28.2		50.9	
5–9	9.4	10.8	10.1		9.4	13.4	11.4		10.8	
10–-14	—	1.4	0.7		—	—	—		0.4	
15	1.6	—	0.7		—	—	—		0.4	
16–17	—	—	—		—	—	—		—	
18+	1.6	—	0.7		—	—	—		0.4	
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Table A12: Local and intercountry adoptions, by sibling groups, 2008–09
	Number of sibling groups		Children adopted in sibling groups	
Type of adoption			Number	Per cent of 
adoption type	
Local adoption	1		2	2.9	
Intercountry adoptions					
Hague adoption	4		11	8.0	
Non-Hague adoption	6		12	9.2	
	Total intercountry adoptions	10		23	8.6	
Total local and intercountry adoptions	11		25	7.4	
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table A13: Number of intercountry adoptions from Hague countries, 2008–09, 
by type of order under which the child entered Australia 
Country of origin	Full adoption order in
country of origin	Guardianship 
order	Total	
Bolivia	1	—	1	
China(a)	51	—	51	
Colombia	8	—	8	
India	1	11	12	
Lithuania	2	—	2	
Philippines	—	45	45	
Sri Lanka	1	—	1	
Thailand	—	18	18	
Total Hague intercountry adoptions	64	74	138	
Per cent of total 	46.4	53.6	100.0	
(a)	Excludes Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Table A14: Number of local and intercountry adoptions, by age of the adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
	Age group (years)	
	Under 25	25–29	30–34	35–39	40–44	45–49	50–54	55+	Total	
	Age of adoptive mother	
Local adoptions	—	4	8	23	27	5	1	—	68	
Intercountry adoptions 	 							 	 	
Hague 	—	1	5	27	47	44	14	—	138	
Non-Hague 	—	5	26	47	38	13	2	—	131	
Total intercountry 	—	6	31	74	85	57	16	—	269	
Total local and intercountry adoptions	—	10	39	97	112	62	17	—	337	
	Age of adoptive father	
Local adoptions	—	1	9	21	23	11	3	—	68	
Intercountry adoptions 	 							 	 	
Hague 	—	—	8	20	34	44	25	3	134	
Non-Hague 	—	—	18	46	40	13	6	1	124	
Total intercountry	—	—	26	66	74	57	31	4	258	
Total local and intercountry adoptions	—	1	35	87	97	68	34	4	326	
Note: In 2008–09 there were a total of 337 local and intercountry adoptions (269 intercountry and 68 local). The total for fathers does not add to the total number of local and intercountry adoptions (337) because 11 mothers were single. 
Source:	AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table A15: Number of adoption visas (subclass 102) issued during 2008–09
Country of birth	Adoptions arranged by Australian state/ territory authority 	Adoptions arranged by overseas agency/authority	Total	
Afghanistan	—	2	2	
Bhutan	—	1	1	
Bolivia	1	—	1	
Burma (Myanmar)	—	1	1	
Cambodia	—	10	10	
Canada	—	1	1	
China(a)	64	5	69	
Colombia	8	—	8	
Ethiopia	43	9	52	
Fiji	—	5	5	
France	—	1	1	
Ghana	—	1	1	
Hong Kong(b)	2	4	6	
India	13	5	18	
Indonesia	—	4	4	
Kenya	—	1	1	
Laos	—	2	2	
Lesotho	—	1	1	
Lithuania	2	—	2	
Macau(b) 	—	2	2	
Malaysia	—	8	8	
Nepal	—	1	1	
Papua New Guinea	—	5	5	
Philippines	44	6	50	
Samoa	—	2	2	
Sierra Leone	—	5	5	
Singapore	—	4	4	
Solomon Islands	—	2	2	
South Africa	—	3	3	
South Korea	39	—	39	
Sri Lanka	1	3	4	
Taiwan	27	—	27	
Thailand	16	2	18	
Turkey	1	—	1	
United Kingdom	—	1	1	
United States of America	—	10	10	
Vanuatu	—	1	1	
Vietnam	—	2	2	
Zambia	—	1	1	
Unknown	2	1	3	
Total	263	112	375	
(a)	Excludes Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province.
(b)	Special Administrative Region of China.
Note: This table relates to visas (subclass 102) that were issued during the financial year 2008–09. Not all children who enter Australia will have their adoption finalised in the same year that their visa was issued, hence the total number of adoption visas issued will not match the number of finalised adoptions (269). Only the persons recorded by the DIAC are included in this table.
Source: Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship, unpublished data.

Table A16: Local adoptions, by median age 
of birth mother, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Year		Median age of birth mother	
1998–99	24.0	
1999–00	23.0	
2000–01	24.0	
2001–02	24.0	
2002–03	21.0	
2003–04	23.0	
2004–05	23.0	
2005–06	26.5	
2006–07	24.0	
2007–08	24.0	
2008–09	22.0	
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Table A17: Local adoptions, by marital status and age of birth mother, 2008–09
Age group (years)	Married		Unmarried(a)		Total	
	Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent	
Under 20	—	—		17	27.0		17	25.0	
20–24	—	—		25	39.7		25	36.8	
25–29	—	—		12	19.0		12	17.6	
30–34	2	50.0		2	3.2		4	5.9	
35–39	1	25.0		4	6.3		6	8.8	
40–44	—	—		1	1.6		1	1.5	
45+	—	—		—	—		—	—	
Unknown	1	25.0		2	3.2		3	4.4	
Total	4	100.0		63	100.0		68	100.0	
(a)	Includes de facto marriage relationships. Refer to the Glossary for category descriptions. 
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table A18: Local adoptions, by marital status of birth mother, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Year	Married(a)		Unmarried(a)		Unknown	
	Number	Per cent		Number	Per cent		Number	Total	
1998–99	14	12.0		103	88.0		10	127	
1999–00	10	12.5		70	87.5		26	106	
2000–01	14	19.4		58	80.6		16	88	
2001–02	7	7.4		87	92.6		13	107	
2002–03	5	6.7		70	93.3		3	78	
2003–04	6	8.5		65	91.5		2	73	
2004–05	6	9.2		59	90.8		—	65	
2005–06	7	11.9		52	88.1		1	60	
2006–07	8	13.8		50	86.2		1	59	
2007–08	22(b)	31.4		48	68.6		—	70	
2008–09	4	6.0		63	94.0		1	68	
(a)	‘Married’ includes couples in a registered marriage; ‘Unmarried’ includes couples in a de facto marriage and lone mothers. Refer to the Glossary for category descriptions.
(b)	Includes two adoptions where the birth mother was married to someone other than the child’s birth father, at the time of birth.
Notes 
1.	Percentages exclude ‘unknown’.
2.	Changes to the categories of adoption introduced in 1998–99 limit the amount of trend data available for ‘local’ adoptions 
(see Section 1.1). 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Table A19: Proportion of local adoptions, by type of agreement, 
1998–99 to 2008–09 (per cent)
Year		No contact or information exchange 	Some contact and/or information exchange	
1998–99	9.7	90.3	
1999–00	8.1	91.9	
2000–01	6.9	93.1	
2001–02	6.3	93.7	
2002–03	16.2	83.8	
2003–04	6.8	93.2	
2004–05	8.1	91.9	
2005–06	5.0	95.0	
2006–07	11.9	88.1	
2007–08	22.9	77.1	
2008–09	33.9 	66.1	
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.

Table A20: Local adoptions, by type of arranging body, 2008–09
Arranging body	Number 	Per cent	
Government department	47	69.1	
Non-government agency	21	30.9	
Total	68	100.0	
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 
Table A21: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by relationship to adoptive parent(s), 1998–99 to 2008–09
Year	Step-parent	Relative(a)	Carer	Other	Total	
	Number	
1998–99	116	8	48	. .	172	
1999–00	114	2	43	. .	159	
2000–01	98	1	29	. .	140(b)	
2001–02	103	5	52	. .	160	
2002–03	72	2	29	. .	103(c)	
2003–04	31	3	25	. .	59	
2004–05	52	5	29	. .	86	
2005–06	69	5	21	. .	95	
2006–07	79	3	22	. .	104	
2007–08	67	4	26	3	100	
2008–09	66	—	35	3	104	
	Per cent(d)	
1998–99	67.4	4.7	27.9	. .	100.0	
1999–00	71.7	1.3	27.0	. .	100.0	
2000–01	76.6	0.8	22.7	. .	100.0	
2001–02	64.4	3.1	32.5	. .	100.0	
2002–03	69.9	1.9	28.2	. .	100.0	
2003–04	52.5	5.1	42.4	. .	100.0	
2004–05	60.5	5.8	33.7	. .	100.0	
2005–06	72.6	5.3	22.1	. .	100.0	
2006–07	76.0	2.9	21.2	. .	100.0	
2007–08	67.0	4.0	26.0	3.0	100.0	
2008–09	63.5	—	33.7	2.9	100.0	
(a) 	Includes relatives other than step-parents.
(b)	Total includes 12 children where relationship with adoptive parent(s) was unknown.
(c)	Total includes 13 children where relationship with adoptive parent(s) was unknown.
(d) 	Percentage excludes children where relationship with adoptive parent(s) was unknown.
Notes
1.	Changes to the categories of adoption introduced in 1998–99 limit the amount of trend data available for ‘known’ child adoptions 
(see Section 1.1). 
2. 	The ‘Other’ category was added in 2007–08. Before this, children adopted by commissioning (surrogate) parents were included in the ‘Relative’ category.
3.	Refer to the Glossary for definitions of the adoption categories. 
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Table A22: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by relationship to adoptive parents, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Age (years)	Step-parent		Relative(a)		Carer		Other		Total	
	M	F	P		M	F	P		M	F	P		M	F	P		M	F	P	
	Number	
Under 1	1	1	2		—	—	—		—	—	—		—	—	—		1	1	2	
1–4	1	—	1		—	—	—		2	5	7		—	—	—		3	5	8	
5–9	11	7	18		—	—	—		6	4	10		1	—	1		18	11	29	
10–14	8	9	17		—	—	—		8	4	12		—	1	1		16	14	30	
15–17	8	12	20		—	—	—		—	5	5		1	—	1		9	17	26	
18+	5	3	8		—	—	—		1	—	1		—	—	—		6	3	9	
Total	34	32	66		—	—	—		17	18	35		2	1	3		53	51	104	
	Per cent	
Under 1	2.9	3.1	3.0		—	—	—		—	—	—		—	—	—		1.9	2.0	1.9	
1–4	2.9	—	1.5		—	—	—		11.8	27.8	20.0		—	—	—		5.7	9.8	7.7	
5–9	32.4	21.9	27.3		—	—	—		35.3	22.2	28.6		50.0	—	33.3	 	34.0	21.6	27.9	
10–14	23.5	28.1	25.8		—	—	—		47.1	22.2	34.3		—	100.0	33.3		30.2	27.5	28.8	
15–17	23.5	37.5	30.3		—	—	—		—	27.8	14.3		50.0	—	33.3		17.0	33.3	25.0	
18+	14.7	9.4	12.1		—	—	—		5.9	—	2.9	 	—	—	—		11.3	5.9	8.7	
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0		—	—	—		100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0	100.0	100.0	
M = males, F = females, P = persons
(a)	Includes relatives other than step-parents. 
Notes
1.	Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.
2.	Refer to the Glossary for definitions of the adoption categories.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection. 

Table A23: Number of information applications and vetoes 
lodged, 1992–93 to 2008–09
Year	Applications for access to information lodged 	Contact and information vetoes lodged	
1992–93	6,167	286	
1993–94	6,135	359	
1994–95	6,252	584	
1995–96	5,567	426	
1996–97	4,455	259	
1997–98	4,324	174	
1998–99	5,430	174	
1999–00	5,008	146	
2000–01	4,304	113	
2001–02	4,159	88	
2002–03	3,744	137	
2003–04	3,407	63	
2004–05	3,414	56	
2005–06	3,038	58	
2006–07	2,851	80	
2007–08	2,832	140	
2008–09	3,607 	52	
Note: Contact vetoes lodged do not necessarily relate directly to the information 
	applications lodged—contact vetoes may have been lodged in relation to adoptions 
	for which information may never be requested.
Source: AIHW Adoptions Australia data collection.
Appendix B	Legislation 
B.1	Summary of legislation 
Commonwealth
Immigration (Guardianship of Children) Act 1946
Marriage Act 1961
Family Law Reform Act 1996
New South Wales
Adoption Act 2000
Adoption Regulation 2003
Level of court 
Supreme Court of NSW
Step-parent adoptions 
Step-parents may apply directly to the NSW Supreme Court to adopt a step-child in their care. The child must be 5 years old and have had a relationship with the step-parent for at least 2 years. The step-parent must provide an assessment in their application to the court to assist the court in its decision making. This report must be done by an adoption assessor contracted by Community Services, NSW Department of Human Services.
Relative adoptions
There is provision for adoptions by relatives. The child must have an established relationship for at least 2 years with the applicant/s. These adoptions are made only in exceptional circumstances—that is, where a parental responsibility order or other order made through the Family Court would not adequately provide for the interests and welfare of the child.
Carer adoptions
Children may be adopted by their carers if the parents consent, if the Supreme Court dispenses with their consent or if the child consents (aged over 12 years and has been with the carers for 2 years), and if adoption is seen to be in the child’s best interests and, all alternatives having been considered, adoption is preferable to any other order.

Local and intercountry adoptions 
Eligibility requirements:
•	Applicants for adoption must be resident in NSW, over 21 years of age and may be a single person or a couple who have been living together continuously for 
2 years where at least one applicant is an Australian citizen. Gazetted selection criteria apply and are available on the Community Services, NSW Department of Human Services‘ website at <www.community.nsw.gov.au/html/adoption/adoption.htm>.
•	The main consideration for any adoption order being made is that it is in the best interests of the child concerned in both childhood and later life.
•	Arrangements must be made by Community Services, NSW Department of Human Services or an accredited adoption service provider such as Centacare Adoption Services, Anglicare Adoption Services or Barnardos Australia.
Adoption of Indigenous children
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children must be placed in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principles outlined in the Act.
Victoria
Adoption Act 1984
Adoption Regulations 2008
Level of court 
Supreme Court and County Court
Step-parent and other-relative adoptions 
In all cases of placement with relatives, attempts are made to place the child on an order made through the Family Court. An adoption order in favour of a relative or step-parent is made only if exceptional circumstances exist and if an order from the Family Court will not make adequate provision for the welfare and interests of the child.
A solicitor may prepare an application for formal adoption by a step-parent or other relative. The application must be notified to the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) or an approved non-government adoption agency for the preparation of an assessment report on the prospective adoptive parents. The report is submitted with the application to the County or Supreme Court.
Adoptions are arranged by the DHS or an approved non-government agency (listed in the section below).
Local and intercountry adoptions 
Eligibility requirements:
•	a married/de facto couple for more than 2 years
•	a single person, if special circumstances exist in relation to the child.
Intercountry adoptions are arranged only via the DHS. However, local adoptions may be arranged by the DHS or an approved non-government organisation, which are Connections, Anglicare Western, Anglicare Gippsland, Centacare Catholic Family Services, St Lukes Anglicare, and Child and Family Services Ballarat. 
Adoption of Indigenous children
The Adoption Act recognises the principles of Aboriginal self-management and 
self-determination, and that adoption is not available in Aboriginal child care arrangements. Restrictive eligibility criteria are in place for the selection of adoptive parents for Indigenous children. The birth parent(s) of an Indigenous child can place the condition on adoption that the child go to Indigenous adoptive parents, or that a right of access be granted to the natural parents, other relatives and members of the Aboriginal community.
Queensland
Adoption of Children Act 1964 
Adoption of Children Regulation 1999
Level of court 
The Director-General of the Department of Child Safety (DChS) is solely responsible for making adoption orders in Queensland. The Children’s Court or Supreme Court may be involved with the dispensation of consent. The Supreme Court also has the power to recognise adoption orders made under the law of a country outside the Commonwealth and the territories of the Commonwealth as well as the power to discharge an adoption order for the adoption of a child made under the Adoption of Children Act 1964.
Step-parent adoptions 
Adoption by step-parents can be arranged only through the DChS.
Other-relative adoptions 
There is provision under the Act for adoptions by relatives other than step-parents in exceptional circumstances—that is, when a guardianship or custody order will not adequately provide for the interests and welfare of the child. However, in recent years no order has been made in favour of a relative other than a step-parent.
Local and intercountry adoptions 
Eligibility requirements: 
•	General adoption—one applicant must be an Australian citizen and applicants must reside or be domiciled in Queensland. Applicants must be infertile, married for at least 2 years and in good health. The applicants must not have custody of more than one child at the time of application.
•	Intercountry adoption—one applicant must be an Australian citizen and applicants must reside or be domiciled in Queensland. Applicants can have no more than four children in their custody and must be married for 2 years and in good health. 
•	Special-needs adoption—applicants must be in good health, one applicant must be an Australian citizen and applicants must reside or be domiciled in Queensland.
The DChS is the only agency legally authorised to arrange adoptions in Queensland.
Adoption of Indigenous children
The placement of an Indigenous child with adoptive parents is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Adoption of Children Act 1964 and the DChS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. Prospective parents of the same, or a similar, Indigenous or cultural background as the child are selected after consultation with appropriate Indigenous services or community groups to facilitate decision making.
The Act makes provision for a child to be adopted by adoptive parents with a different racial and cultural background from the child where it is apparent that there are no prospective parents from the child’s background or where it is in a child’s best interests for the placement to occur. However, it is not the policy of the DChS to place children from an Indigenous background with non-Indigenous adoptive parents.
Review of Adoption of Children Act 1964
The Department of Child Safety is currently reviewing Queensland’s adoption legislation.
Western Australia
Adoption Act 1994
Adoption Regulations 1995
Adoption Amendment Act 2003
Level of court 
Family Court of Western Australia
Step-parent adoptions 
Amendments effective from June 2003 require people considering step-parent adoption to obtain a determination from the Family Court of Western Australia that a step-parent order would be preferable to a consent (parenting) order. 
The consent of the non-custodial birth parent, or an order from the Family Court of Western Australia to dispense with such consent, is required. An adoption plan needs to be negotiated between the non-custodial birth parent and the adoptive parent, or dispensed with by the Court, before the adoption can be finalised. 
Step-parents wishing to adopt their step-child must give 60 days notice to the department of their intention to apply for an order of adoption. It may be necessary to engage the services of a solicitor for this purpose, as well as to make the application to the Family Court of Western Australia for an adoption order.
The Department for Child Protection is required to provide a complete assessment report to the court.
Other-relative adoptions 
Adoption by relatives is not permitted under the Adoption Amendment Act 2003. Adoption severs the legal link that the child has with his or her birth parents.
It is considered that parenting orders or consent orders made by the Family Court of Western Australia can better meet the needs of the child in situations where relatives wish to care for a related child. These orders can retain the legal link the child has with his or her birth family, while considering the day-to-day care needs of the child.
Carer adoptions 
Carer adoptions can occur when it is considered that the best interests of the child are served by the child being adopted by eligible and approved carers. The carers must have had the full-time care of the child for at least 3 consecutive years. The Department for Child Protection must have arranged or approved the placement of the child with the carer and must be satisfied that the child will not return to live with the birth family or extended family. It is required that the birth parents give their consent to the adoption or that there is an order from the Family Court of Western Australia dispensing with consent. Unless dispensed with by the Family Court, an adoption plan is a legal requirement. The Family Court finalises the adoption by the granting of an adoption order.
Local and intercountry adoptions 
All known birth parents must be asked to give consent. Birth parents are involved in the selection process of adoptive parents by choosing a family from non-identifying profiles. 
All adoptions are arranged through the Department for Child Protection.
Applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria before being considered for assessment.
An adoption plan is required to be made between birth parents and adopting parents, or an application to the Family Court made to dispense with the adoption plan, before the adoption order is granted in the Family Court of Western Australia.
The child’s first given name is expected to be retained by the adoptive parents.
Adoption of Indigenous children
Amendments to the Adoption Act 1994 have included the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children—Placement for Adoption Principle, the appointment of an approved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agency for consultation and the requirement to consult with relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff about the placement or the potential adoption of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child. Preference is given to the placement of Aboriginal children with Aboriginal adoptive parents unless the child’s birth parents specifically request otherwise.
South Australia
Adoption Act 1988
Adoption Regulations 2004
Level of court 
Youth Court of South Australia
Step-parent adoptions 
In all cases, ‘Leave to proceed’ granted in the Family Court is required before step-parents can apply to adopt a step-child.
Adoption by step-parents is granted only in exceptional circumstances—that is, when there is no other order that will adequately provide for the interests and welfare of the child. These adoptions can be arranged only through the South Australian Department for Families and Communities (DFC).
Other-relative adoptions 
There is provision for adoptions by relatives other than step-parents in exceptional circumstances—that is, when there is no other order that will adequately provide for the interests and welfare of the child. Adoption by relatives can be arranged only through the DFC.
Local and intercountry adoptions 
Eligibility requirements:
•	a married couple or a de facto couple for more than 5 years at the time of the making of the adoption order, 3 years for allocation or placement of child
•	a single person in particular circumstances.
Adoptions can be arranged only through the DFC. 
Adoption of Indigenous children
Restrictive eligibility criteria apply for adoptive parents in accordance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
Tasmania
Adoption Act 1988
Adoption Amendment Act 2007
Adoption Regulations 2006
Level of court 
Magistrate sitting alone
Step-parent adoptions 
Adoption by step-parents is possible in some circumstances. If the child’s father has not legally established his paternity, and does not do so within 30 days of the mother signing the consent to adoption, an application may be made through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). If the child’s paternity has been legally established, adoption is possible only in special circumstances which justify adoption and when other available orders will not provide adequately for the welfare and interest of the child. All applications for an adoption order in favour of a step-parent adoption must be made through the DHHS.
Other-relative adoptions 
The court’s power to make an adoption order in favour of a relative is limited to special circumstances that justify adoption and when other available orders will not provide adequately for the welfare and interests of the child. All applications for an adoption order in favour of a relative must be made through the DHHS.
Local and intercountry adoptions
Eligibility requirements: 
•	a married couple for more than 3 years, with any period of time spent in a de facto relationship before marriage included in time assessment
•	a single person only in special circumstances relating to the welfare and interests of the child.
Adoptions by non-relatives can be arranged by DHHS or a non-government organisation approved by the Minister for Health and Human Services.
Adoption of Indigenous children
Not included in legislation although birth parents may express wishes about race of adoptive parents. The cultural differences of Indigenous people are recognised; placement within the Aboriginal community is the preferred option.
Australian Capital Territory
Adoption Act 1993
Level of court 
Supreme Court
Step-parent adoptions 
Adoption by step-parents can be arranged only through the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support (OCYFS).
Other-relative adoptions 
There is provision for adoptions by relatives other than step-parents in exceptional circumstances—that is, when a guardianship or custody order will not adequately provide for the interests and welfare of the child.
Adoption by relatives can be arranged only through the OCYFS.
Local and intercountry adoptions
Eligibility requirements:
•	a married couple for more than 3 years
•	a de facto couple for more than 3 years
•	a single person in particular circumstances. 
Adoptions by non-relatives must be arranged through the OCYFS.
Adoption of Indigenous children
Restrictive eligibility criteria apply for adoptive parents in accordance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
Northern Territory
Adoption of Children Act 1994
The Adoption of Children Act was amended to enable the issue of Australian birth certificates for overseas-born adopted children, whenever the necessary birth information is provided by the country of origin. This applies irrespective of whether the adoption is finalised in the Local Court or as a foreign adoption order, automatically recognised under Australian law. The amendment came into effect on 3 July 2006.
Level of court 
Local Court
Step-parent adoptions 
Other arrangements are sought before an adoption order is considered.
Other-relative adoptions 
There is provision for adoptions by relatives other than step-parents in exceptional circumstances—that is, when a guardianship or custody order will not adequately provide for the interests and welfare of the child.
Local and intercountry adoptions
Eligibility requirements: 
•	a married couple for 2 years or more
•	a single person in exceptional circumstances.
All adoptions must be arranged through the Department of Health and Families. 
Adoption of Indigenous children
Adoptions of Indigenous children can occur only if alternative custody with the child’s extended family cannot be arranged. If an order is made it must comply with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
B.2	Provisions for ‘open’ adoptions
New South Wales
NSW practice recognises that a variety of relationships may exist between a child’s adoptive and birth families but strongly supports openness in adoption attitudes and actions between birth and adoptive families. An adoption plan, which may include the regular exchange of information and/or contact, is usually presented to the court at the time an adoption order is sought. Increasingly, birth parents are participating in the choice of the adoptive family for their child. Community Services, NSW Department of Human Services or agency which arranged the adoption will help with mediating ongoing contact after the adoption order, if necessary.
Victoria
The Adoption Act 1984 provides that an adoption order can include conditions regarding information exchange and/or access between the parties. After signing the consent, birth parents are given the opportunity to express wishes concerning contact and information exchange, which are considered when placement decisions are made. At the time of signing the adoption consent, birth parents are asked whether they wish to be actively involved in selecting an adoptive family. Birth parents are encouraged to consider profile information on approved adoption applicants who have been assessed as suitable for the child, and to indicate the couple with whom they would prefer the child to be placed. After placement, there may be direct contact between the parties, or an exchange of information. When the arrangements form part of the adoption order, there is a legally binding way to resolve any disputes that may arise.
Queensland
Under the provisions of the Adoption of Children Act 1964, identifying information remains confidential until an adopted person reaches 18 years of age. 
It is possible for adoptive parents and members of a child’s birth family to exchange correspondence via Adoption Services before a child turns 18 years of age, where both parties agree to the exchange of correspondence. Families participating in the exchange of correspondence have no direct contact with each other and only non-identifying information can be communicated. 
Western Australia
Since the Adoption Act 1994, all adoptions are considered open. All parties to an adoption have access to information, which is either ‘identifying’ or ‘non-identifying’. The level of information depends on when the adoption took place. The 2003 amendments to the Act meant that no new information vetoes can be placed and existing information vetoes became ineffective. Contact vetoes could no longer be placed after 1 June 2003. 
Adoption plans, which are a requirement for an adoption, specify whether contact will occur between the parties to an adoption and what level this will take. The contact details can be varied at a later stage through agreement and by approval of the Family Court of Western Australia. 
South Australia
Under the Adoption Act 1988, ‘open’ arrangements are possible between parties to the adoption. This can involve access to information or contact between the parties. The arrangements are not legally binding and are to be facilitated and mediated by the Department for Families and Communities.
Tasmania
In general, Tasmania promotes openness. ‘Open’ adoptions are arranged if it is the wish of the birth and adoptive parents.
Australian Capital Territory
Legislation allows for conditional orders (that is, where contact frequency and other arrangements can be specified). Since the new legislation in 1993, all adoptions are regarded as ‘open—that is, some form of contact or information exchange is encouraged. Conditional orders are now routinely recommended to the court.
Northern Territory
‘Open’ adoptions have been available since the Adoption of Children Act 1994 was introduced. It is an option for relinquishing parents.
B.3	Access to information and veto systems
New South Wales
Access to information
In NSW, the Adoption Act 2000 enables an adopted person aged 18 years or over to have access to his or her original birth certificate and to information about his or her origins. It also enables birth parents to have access to details of their child’s adopted identity when that child reaches 18 years of age. Birth parents can access information about their child’s life after adoption, such as their health and welfare, while the child is under the age of 18 years. With the permission of the adoptive parents, identifying information may be released.
Adoptive parents receive non-identifying information about their child’s family of origin when the child is under 18 years old. With the permission of the birth parent, identifying information may be released.
Adult adopted persons, birth parents and adoptive parents are able to lodge a request for advanced notice of an application for identifying information about themselves. This will delay the release of the information for a period of 2 months to allow everyone time to prepare for its release.
Veto system
Contact veto provisions do not apply to adoptions made after 26 October 1990. Where an order of adoption was made before that date, birth parents and adult adopted persons are able to lodge a contact veto. On the lodgement of a contact veto it becomes an offence for the information recipient to try to make contact with the person who imposed the contact veto. Information about that person can be released if the applicant for the information gives a written undertaking not to use the information to seek contact.
Victoria
Access to information
In Victoria, an adopted person aged 18 years or over may apply for a copy of his or her original birth certificate and adoption records. An adopted person under the age of 18 years requires his or her adoptive parents’ written agreement before information can be given, and the written consent of the birth parent(s) is required before identifying information can be given.
Birth parents and birth relatives may obtain non-identifying information from records about the adopted person. Identifying information can be given with the written consent of the adopted person if he or she is aged 18 years or over, or of the adoptive parents if the adopted person is under 18 years old.
Adult children of adopted persons have the same rights to information as the adopted person, providing the adopted person is first informed in writing or, where the adopted person is dead, a copy of the death certificate is provided.
Adoptive parents may apply for information about the birth family’s background. The written permission of the birth parent is required before identifying information may be released. Also, where the adopted person is aged 18 years or over, the adopted person must be notified in writing of the intention to release identifying information about the birth family.
Veto system
There is no veto system in Victoria. Instead, a register operates on which people can record their wishes in relation to giving or receiving information and making contact. Although adopted persons can make contact with birth relatives themselves, an authorised agency makes contact with adopted persons on behalf of birth parents and relatives or with birth parents on behalf of adoptive parents. The agency will ask the parties what their wishes are and mediate between them.
Queensland
Access to information
The Adoption of Children Act 1964 makes different provisions for the release of information depending on whether an adoption order was made before or after June 1991.
Under the provisions of the Act, birth parents who sign an adoption consent after June 1991 and persons who were adopted after June 1991 have an unqualified entitlement to receive identifying information about each other, once the adopted person reaches 18 years of age. When this happens, identifying information will be provided on request to the person who was adopted or to the birth parent or parents who signed an adoption consent in relation to the person who was adopted.
Under the provisions of the Act, identifying information can be provided to birth parents who signed an adoption consent before June 1991 and persons who were adopted before June 1991 if an objection to the disclosure of identifying information has not been lodged by one of the parties to the adoption.
In certain circumstances, eligible relatives of an adopted person or of a birth parent who signed an adoption consent can obtain identifying information.
The adopted person and the birth parent who signed the adoption consent can lodge an objection to contact only or an objection to contact and the disclosure of identifying information for adoptions before June 1991.
Veto (objection) system
In Queensland, vetoes are referred to as objections. The Adoption of Children Act 1964 makes provision for birth parents who signed an adoption consent before June 1991 and persons who were adopted before June 1991 to lodge an objection to contact only or an objection to the disclosure of identifying information and contact.
An objection to contact or an objection to the disclosure of identifying information and contact remains in force unless it is revoked by the person who lodged the objection.
The Act makes no provision for birth parents who sign or have signed an adoption consent after June 1991 and persons who were adopted after June 1991 to lodge an objection to contact or an objection to the disclosure of identifying information and contact.
Western Australia
Access to information
At the time of placement of a child, an adoption plan must be negotiated between the birth parents and adoptive parents to facilitate the sharing of information about the child. This requirement may be dispensed with by application to the Family Court of Western Australia. Under the Adoption Act 1994 birth parents, adoptive parents and adopted persons may obtain identifying and non-identifying information about the adoption from departmental records at the discretionary authority of the departmental CEO. For adoption orders made under the repealed Act, there are additional requirements where the adoptee is aged under 18 years. Amendments to the Adoption Act 1994 gazetted in 2003 prohibit the placement of any new information vetoes or contact vetoes on adoptions since that date.
Veto system
In Western Australia, a ‘message box system’ operates which allows anonymous contact between the parties.
Under the Adoption Act 1994, where the adoption occurred before 1 January 1995 an adopted person aged 18 years or over, birth parents and adoptive parents can have access to birth records and adoption court records (that is, identifying information); an adopted person less than 18 years of age can have access to birth records and adoption court records subject to consent from the adoption parties. Since the 2003 changes to the legislation, no new information vetoes are permitted to be lodged. All existing information vetoes were removed in June 2005.
Less restrictive access to identifying information applies for adopted people, adoptive parents and birth parents where the adoption occurred after 1 January 1995. The 2003 legislative amendments have ensured that adoption is open and all parties will have access to identifying information.
Furthermore, as a result of these amendments, contact vetoes can no longer be lodged. The adoption plan agreed to by parties to the adoption can, however, include provisions for no contact between parties. Adoption plans are registered with the Family Court of Western Australia and can be varied by the Family Court. 
South Australia
Access to information
In South Australia, adopted people aged 18 years or over can have access to information contained in their original birth certificate, as well as details about their natural parents (if known) such as occupation, date of birth, physical attributes and personal interests. Adopted people are also entitled to know the names of any biological siblings who were adopted. Once the adopted person reaches 18 years of age, the birth parents can have access to the adoptive name of their relinquished child and the names of the adoptive parents. Adoptive parents can now apply for certain information under certain circumstances. Descendents of an adopted person and certain birth relatives of the adopted person can apply for information under certain circumstances.
Veto system
Both adopted persons and birth parents can veto the release of identifying information, thus making contact more difficult, although a specific contact veto is not available. The veto provision is available only for adoptions that occurred before the state’s Adoption Act 1988 came into force.
Adoptive parents are able to lodge a veto to restrict identifying information about themselves being released to the birth parents with a provision that this does not prevent the adopted person and the birth parent from making contact with each other. Certain information is also available to adoptive parents.
Tasmania
Access to information
In Tasmania, an adopted person aged 18 years or over may apply for access to his or her 
pre-adoption birth record and information from the adoption record. An adopted person aged less than 18 years may apply for this information with the written consent of his or her adoptive parents. Birth parents, birth relatives and lineal descendants of an adopted person may apply for non-identifying information at any time or for identifying information when the adopted person is aged 18 years or over. Adoptive parents may apply for non-identifying information at any time but may receive information which includes the name of a birth parent only with the written permission of the birth parent concerned.
All applicants who are resident in Tasmania must attend an interview with an approved counsellor before receiving information.
Veto system
The right to information is unqualified, but a contact veto may be registered. Any adopted person, birth parent, birth relative, lineal descendant of an adopted person or adoptive parent may register a contact veto. Where a veto has been registered, identifying information is released only after an undertaking not to attempt any form of contact has been signed. An attempt to make contact where a veto is in force is an offence. A contact veto may be lifted at any time by the person who lodged it.
Australian Capital Territory
Access to information
Under the ACT’s Adoption Act 1993, an adopted person aged 18 years or over, birth parents, adoptive parents and birth relatives may apply for identifying information in relation to the adoption. Identifying information consists of a copy of, or extract from, an entry in a register of births relating to the adopted child, or information from which a birth parent, birth relative or adopted child may be identified (excluding the address of a place of residence).
Before the Adoption Act 1993, no provision for adoption information existed. However, as the Act is retrospective, information is now available for adoptions that occurred under the old Act.
Veto system
Under the ACT’s Adoption Act 1993, only contact vetoes may be registered. The veto has to refer to a specified person or a specified class of persons.
The Act provides for an unqualified right to information, but also gives the adopted person aged over 17 years 6 months, an adoptive parent, birth parent, adult birth relatives, adoptive relatives and adult children or other descendants of the adopted person the right to lodge a contact veto. On the lodgement of such a veto, it becomes an offence for the information recipient to try to make contact with the person who imposed the contact veto. 
Where information is requested and a contact veto is in force, no information is given unless the person requesting information has attended a counselling service and has signed a declaration that he or she will not attempt contact in any form.
The Act also makes provision for greater accountability in obtaining consents to adoptions, augments the rights of the birth parents and promotes a more open system of adoption.
Northern Territory
Access to information
In the Northern Territory, legislation before the Adoption of Children Act 1994 did not provide for the release of information to any parties to an adoption. Since the introduction of the new Act there is provision for a more open process, with identifying information being available unless a veto has been lodged. Indigenous child care agencies are authorised to counsel for the purpose of supplying identifying information.
Veto system
A 3-year renewable veto may be lodged by the adopted person or birth parents with respect to adoptions finalised before 1994. There is no veto provision with respect to adoptions finalised under the new Act.
Appendix C	Countries party to the 
Hague Convention
Listed below are the countries party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. This information is correct as at 
22 May 2009.
Country	Date Convention came into effect	Country	Date Convention came into effect	
Albania	1 January 2001	Georgia(a)	1 August 1999	
Andorra(a)	1 May 1997	Germany	1 March 2002	
Armenia(a)	1 June 2007	Guatemala(a)	1 March 2003	
Australia	1 December 1998	Guinea(a)	1 February 2004	
Austria	1 September 1999	Hungary	1 August 2005	
Azerbaijan(a)	1 October 2004	Iceland(a)	1 May 2000	
Belarus	1 November 2003	India	1 October 2003	
Belgium	1 September 2005	Israel	1 June 1999	
Belize(a)	1 April 2006	Italy	1 May 2000	
Bolivia	1 July 2002	Kenya(a)	1 June 2007	
Brazil	1 July 1999	Latvia	1 December 2002	
Bulgaria	1 September 2002	Liechtenstein(a)	1 May 2009	
Burkina Faso	1 May 1996	Lithuania(a) 	1 August 1998	
Burundi(a)	1 February 1999	Luxembourg	1 November 2002	
Cambodia(a)	1 August 2007	Madagascar	1 September 2004	
Canada	1 April 1997	Mali(a)	1 September 2006	
Chile	1 November 1999	Malta(a)	1 February 2005	
China(b)	1 January 2006	Mauritius(a)	1 January 1999	
Colombia	1 November 1998	Mexico	1 May 1995	
Costa Rica	1 February 1996	Moldova(a)	1 August 1998	
Cuba(a)	1 June 2007	Monaco(a)	1 October 1999	
Cyprus	1 June 1995	Mongolia(a)	1 August 2000	
Czech Republic	1 June 2000	Netherlands	1 October 1998	
Denmark(c)	1 November 1997	New Zealand(a)	1 January 1999	
Dominican Republic(a)	1 March 2007	Norway	1 January 1998	
Ecuador	1 January 1996	Panama	1 January 2000	
El Salvador	1 March 1999	Paraguay(a)	1 September 1998	
Estonia(a)	1 June 2002	Peru	1 January 1996	
Finland	1 July 1997	Philippines	1 November 1996	
France	1 October 1998	Poland	1 October 1995	
(continued)

Country	Date Convention came into effect	Country	Date Convention came into effect	
Portugal	1 July 2004	Sweden	1 September 1997	
Romania	1 May 1995	Switzerland	1 January 2003	
San Marino(a)	1 February 2005	Thailand 	1 August 2004	
Seychelles(a)	1 October 2008	The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia(a)	1 April 2009	
Slovakia	1 October 2001	Turkey	1 September 2004	
Slovenia	1 May 2002	United Kingdom(d)	1 June 2003	
South Africa(a)	1 December 2003	United States of America	1 April 2008	
Spain	1 November 1995	Uruguay	1 April 2004	
Sri Lanka	1 May 1995	Venezuela	1 May 1997	
		Total countries	78	
(a)	These countries have acceded to the Convention.
(b)	Includes the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
(c)	Includes Faroe Islands—came into force 1 April 2007.
(d)	Includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Convention came into force in the Isle of Man on 1 November 2003.
Notes 
1.	Countries that participated in the Seventeenth Session (a particular conference held by the Hague) are able to sign this Convention, with the option of also ratifying it. Alternatively, countries that did not participate in the Seventeenth Session are able to accede to this Convention.
By signing the Hague Convention, a country expresses, in principle, its intention to become a party to the Convention. However, signature does not, in any way, oblige a country to take further action (towards ratification or not). A country is party to the Hague Convention if it has ratified or acceded to the Convention— this involves the legal obligation for the country to apply the Convention.
2.	The following countries have signed, but are yet to ratify, the Convention: Ireland, Nepal and the Russian Federation.
Source: Hague Conference on Private International Law website, <www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.status&cid=69>.
Glossary 
Adoption
Adoption is the legal process by which a person legally becomes a child of the adoptive parents and legally ceases to be a child of his/her existing parent(s).
Adoption categories
Intercountry adoptions
Intercountry adoptions are adoptions of children from countries other than Australia who are legally able to be placed for adoption, but who generally have had no previous contact with the adoptive parents. There are two categories of intercountry adoptions: 
Hague adoption
A Hague adoption is where the adoptive child’s country of origin has ratified or acceded to the Hague Convention, and the applicant/s file was sent after the Convention entered into force in this country. (See Appendix C for a list of relevant countries). 
Non-Hague adoption
A non-Hague adoption is where the Hague Convention had not entered into force in the adoptive child’s country of origin before the applicant/s file was sent. 
‘Known’ child adoptions
‘Known’ child adoptions are adoptions of children who are Australian residents, who have a pre-existing relationship with the adoptive parent(s) and who are generally not able to be adopted by anyone other than the adoptive parent(s). These types of adoptions are broken down into the following categories depending on the child’s relationship to the adoptive parent(s):
Step-parent
A ‘step-parent’ is the spouse of the child’s natural parent or adoptive parent. Foster parents are not included in this category.
Relative(s)
This category includes any relative of the child, other than step-parents. For Indigenous children, ‘relative’ includes those related through kinship arrangements. 
Carer
Includes foster parents or other non-relatives who have been caring for the child and have had the responsibility for making decisions concerning the daily care and control of the child for the relevant period (as specified by the relevant state/territory department) before the adoption.
Other
Includes children adopted by commissioning (surrogate) parents, whether the commissioning parent is a relative or not.
Local adoptions
Local adoptions are adoptions of Australian children—that is, children who are born in Australia or who are permanent residents of Australia before the adoption takes place, who are legally able to be placed for adoption, but who generally have had no previous contact with the adoptive parents.
Adoption compliance certificate
An adoption compliance certificate is defined by each of the Family Law (Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998 and Family Law (Bilateral Arrangements—Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998. In essence, it means a document issued by competent authorities in the overseas country where the child was adopted which affirms that the adoption is made either under the Hague Convention or the country's laws, and that the relevant authorities have agreed to the adoption.
Adoption order
An adoption order is a judicial or administrative order, made by a competent authority under adoption legislation, by which the adoptive parent(s) become the legal parent(s) of the child. 
Adoptive parent
An adoptive parent is a person who has become the parent of a child or adult as the result of an adoption order. 
Age of adopted child
For ‘known’ child adoptions, the age of an adopted child is the age at the time the adoption order was granted. For local and intercountry adoptions, it is the age at which the child is placed with the adoptive family. Age is calculated from date of birth, in completed years. 
Arrangements for intercountry adoptions
There are two categories of arrangements: 
Full adoption order in child’s country of origin
An adoption made in the child’s country of origin will be a full adoption if the order which is made creates, between the child and the adoptive parents, the relationships of parent and child, and severs the relationship between the child and the biological parents.

Guardianship order
A simple adoption order made in the child’s country of origin which creates a custodial relationship between the adoptive parents and the child, but does not create the relationship of parent and child. In these cases the parent/child link between the biological parent and the child is not severed. The child enters Australia under a guardianship order, and the full adoption order must be made in Australia.
Arranging body
An arranging body is defined as an agency authorised under adoption legislation to make the decision about the placement of an adoptive child. Adoptions can be arranged by state and territory departments responsible for adoption, or by an authorised non-government agency. There are two categories of arranging bodies: 
Government
This may be a state or territory department (see Acknowledgments), or another government authority.
Non-government agency
A non-government agency is an agency, approved to undertake adoption arrangements in Australia, that is not owned or controlled by the Australian Government or by a state or territory government. Such agencies may include church organisations, registered charities, non-profit organisations, companies and cooperative societies and associations.
Country of origin
Refers to the country of habitual residence of the child being adopted. This will generally be the country of birth of a child.
Dispensation
A legal process by which a court may declare that the consent of a parent is not required for an adoption order to be granted. Grounds for dispensation applications are set under individual state and territory legislation.
Guardianship/custody order
An order sought through the court that has the impact of transferring guardianship or custody of the child to an authorised department or an individual. 
Hague Convention (intercountry adoption)
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption establishes uniform standards and procedures for adoptions between countries. The Convention includes legally binding safeguards and a system of supervision, and establishes channels of communication between countries. The Convention entered into force in Australia on 1 December 1998. 
An intercountry adoption is classified as a ‘Hague’ or ‘non-Hague adoption’ (see Adoption categories above). 
Indigenous person
A person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community with which he or she lives. Where a person’s Indigenous status is unknown, that person is included in the category ‘Other Australian’. 
Marital status of adoptive parent(s)
Marital status of the adoptive parent(s) is counted at the time of placement of the child with the adoptive parent(s) using the following categories:
Registered married
This includes situations where there are two adoptive parents who are legally married to each other and living together at the time of placement of the child.
De facto married
This includes situations where there are two adoptive parents who are not legally married, but who are living together in a de facto relationship.
Single
This includes situations where there is one adoptive parent who is not legally married or living in a de facto relationship, and may include widowed parents.
Marital status of birth mother
Married
The birth mother is classified as married if she was legally married to the child’s birth father at the time of the birth. In situations where the adopted child’s birth father was legally married to the child’s birth mother but died before the birth, the birth mother is classified as ‘married’.
Unmarried
The birth mother is classified as unmarried if she was not legally married to the birth father at the time of birth. This includes situations where the birth mother was living in a de facto relationship with the birth father, or someone else.

Prescribed overseas jurisdiction
A prescribed overseas jurisdiction is a country which has a bilateral agreement with Australia and is listed in the schedule in the Family Law (Bilateral Arrangements— Intercountry Adoption) Regulations 1998. The current prescribed overseas jurisdiction is the People’s Republic of China.
References
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 1998. Australian social trends, 1998. Cat. no. 4102.0. Canberra: ABS. 
ABS 2009a. Births, Australia, 2008. Cat. no. 3301.0. Canberra: ABS. 
ABS 2009b. Australian social trends, March 2009. Cat. no. 4102.0. Canberra: ABS. 
Adoption Authority of Ireland 2008. The Adoption Board Annual Report 2007. Viewed 
16 September 2009, <www.adoptionboard.ie/booklets/Annual_Report_2007.pdf>.
Adoption Council of Canada 2007. Downward trend continues: Citizenship & Immigration Canada releases statistics for 2006. Viewed 14 September 2009, <www.adoption.ca/ACCArticle_2006Stats.htm>.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2009. Adoptions Australia 2007–08. Child welfare series no. 46. Cat. no. CWS 34. Canberra: AIHW.
AIHW: Bentley R & Broadbent A 1997. Adoptions Australia 1995–96. Child welfare series 
no. 19. Cat. no. CWS 3. Canberra: AIHW.
AIHW: Wilkinson K & Angus G 1993. Adoptions Australia 1990–91. Child welfare series 
no. 1. AGPS 93 1455 5. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Attorney General’s Department (AGD) 2009a. Country programs. Viewed 5 January 2010, <www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Intercountry_AdoptionCountry_Programs>.
AGD 2009b. Private adoption. Viewed 25 September 2009, <www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/IntercountryAdoption_PrivateAdoption>. 
AGD 2009c. Meeting communiqués 6- 7 November 2008 and 21-22 May 2009. Viewed 
4 January 2010, <www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/IntercountryAdoption_Consultations>.
AGD 2009d. Overseas adoption in Australia report. Viewed 13 October 2009, 
<www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/IntercountryAdoption_OverseasAdoptioninAustraliareport>.
Bornstein MH 2002. Handbook of parenting: children and parenting, volume 1, 2nd edn. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 
DCHS (Department of Community and Health Services) 1994. Changing a child’s surname: choices for step-parents. Hobart: Tasmanian Government.
DoCS (Department of Community Services) 2007. Adopting within the family. Viewed 29 October 2007, <www.community.nsw.gov.au/DOCS/STANDARD/PC_101088.htm>.

DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) 2009. Fact sheet 36—Adopting children from overseas. Viewed 14 September 2009, 
<www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/36adopting.htm>.
FAO (Australian Government Family Assistance Office) 2009. Baby bonus. Viewed 
27 October 2009, <www.familyassist.gov.au/Payments/familyassistance/baby_bonus/Pages/default.aspx>.
Finn R 2006. Foreign adoptees quickly close development gap. Paediatric News. 1 July. Viewed 14 September 2009, <www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-148767490.html>.
Hague Conference on Private International Law 2009.  Status table 33: Convention of 
29 May 1993 on protection of children and co-operation in respect of intercountry adoption. Viewed 16 September 2009, <www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.status&cid=69>.
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HRSCFHS (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human Services) 2005. Overseas adoption in Australia: report on the inquiry into adoption of children from overseas. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Viewed 29 October 2007, <www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/fhs/adoption/report.htm>.
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List of tables
Table 2.1: Number and rate of adoptions, by state and territory, 2008–09
Table 2.2: Number and rate of adoptions, 2005–06 to 2008–09
Table 3.1: Number of intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by child’s country of origin, 
2008–09
Table 3.2: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by marital status of the adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Table 3.3: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by composition of the adoptive family, 
2008–09
Table 3.4: Local adoptions, by state and territory, 2008–09
Table 3.5: Local adoptions, by type of consent, 2008–09
Table 3.6: Local adoptions, by type of agreement, 2008–09
Table 3.7: Local adoptions, by marital status of the adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Table 3.8: Local adoptions, by composition of the adoptive family, 2008–09
Table 3.9: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by state and territory, 2008–09
Table 3.10: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by relationship of adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Table 3.11: Number of Indigenous children adopted, by Indigenous  status of adoptive parent(s), 1994–95 to 2008–09
Table 3.12: Number of permanent care orders granted in Victoria,  1992–93 to 2008–09
Table 3.13: Number of information applications lodged, by person lodging application, 2008–09
Table 3.14: Adult adopted persons who lodged information applications, by Indigenous status, 
age and sex of applicant, 2008–09
Table 3.15: Number of vetoes lodged in 2008–09, by person lodging veto, for selected states and territories
Table 3.16: Number of vetoes in place at 30 June 2009, by person lodging veto, for selected states 
and territories
Table A1: Number of children legally adopted, by state and territory, 1970–71 to 2008–09
Table A2: Placement adoptions—number of children who were placed for adoption, regardless of whether the adoption order was finalised, 2008–09
Table A3: Adoptions, by type of adoption, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Table A4: Adoptions in Australia, by type of adoption, 1984–85 to 2008–09
Table A5: Number of local adoptions, by state and territory, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Table A6: Number of ‘known’ child adoptions, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Table A7: Adoptions of Australian children, by relationship to adoptive parent(s), 1984–85 to  
2008–09
Table A8: Intercountry adoptions, by child’s region of origin, 1990–91 to 2008–09
Table A9: Number of intercountry adoptions, by state and territory, 1990–91 to 2008–09
Table A10: Intercountry adoptions, by country of origin, 1999–00 to 2008–09
Table A11: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Table A12: Local and intercountry adoptions, by sibling groups, 2008–09
Table A13: Number of intercountry adoptions from Hague countries, 2008–09,  by type of order 
under which the child entered Australia
Table A14: Number of local and intercountry adoptions, by age of the adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Table A15: Number of adoption visas (subclass 102) issued during 2008–09
Table A16: Local adoptions, by median age  of birth mother, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Table A17: Local adoptions, by marital status and age of birth mother, 2008–09
Table A18: Local adoptions, by marital status of birth mother, 1998–99 to 2008–09
Table A19: Proportion of local adoptions, by type of agreement,  1998–99 to 2008–09 (per cent)
Table A20: Local adoptions, by type of arranging body, 2008–09
Table A21: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by relationship to adoptive parent(s), 1998–99 to 2008–09
Table A22: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by relationship to adoptive parents, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Table A23: Number of information applications and vetoes  lodged, 1992–93 to 2008–09

List of figures
Figure 1.1: Categories of adoption used in the Adoptions Australia publications
Figure 1.2: Process for intercountry adoptions
Figure 1.3: Process for local adoptions
Figure 1.4: Process for ‘known’ child adoptions
Figure 2.1: Adoptions in Australia, 2008–09
Figure 2.2: Adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Figure 2.3: Number of children legally adopted in Australia, 1971–72 to 2008–09
Figure 2.4: Adoptions of Australian children, by relationship to adoptive parent(s), 1983–84 to 
2008–09
Figure 2.5: Adoptions in Australia, by type of adoption, 1984–85 to 2008–09
Figure 2.6: Intercountry adoptions, by child’s region of origin, 1992–93 to 2008–09
Figure 3.1: Intercountry adoptions, by child’s region of origin, 2008–09
Figure 3.2: Intercountry adoptions, by type of adoption and child’s country of origin, 2008–09
Figure 3.3: Intercountry adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Figure 3.4: Intercountry adoptions, by age of adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Figure 3.5: Local adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09
Figure 3.6: Local adoptions, by age of birth mother, 2008–09
Figure 3.7: Local adoptions, by age of adoptive parent(s), 2008–09
Figure 3.8: ‘Known’ child adoptions, by age and sex of child, 2008–09