Infant Adoption
Since the early 1970s, the number of infants placed for adoption has decreased dramatically. This world-wide trend has occurred for various reasons including the introduction of government financial benefits for single parents, more tolerant community attitudes towards single parenthood and improved contraception. The number of infants available for adoption in Victoria has decreased from more than fifteen hundred per year in the early 1970s to under 30 per year in the 1990s.
Who Are the Children Needing Families?
Children placed by Infant Adoption Programs are usually aged between two months and one year. Parents considering the adoption of their child attend counselling at an Adoption and Permanent Care Service. This involves discussing the options for care of the child, and what adoption involves. Parents cannot sign an adoption consent until sixteen days after the child’s birth. There is a twenty-eight day period during which they may withdraw the consent and this may be extended by up to fourteen days. The child is not placed with an adoptive family before the end of this period.
The Children
A small but significant number of babies becomes eligible for adoption each year.
Children come from all walks of life and family backgrounds. They are generally between the ages of two months and one year.
Some babies have minor medical problems or come from social or hereditary backgrounds that place them at risk of developing problems. Most babies available for adoption are healthy infants in need of a family.
The following profiles given an indication of the children available for infant adoption.
James
Sally and Steve, both seventeen years old first attended counselling when Sally was nine months pregnant. The pregnancy was unplanned and neither parent considered that they or their immediate family members were able to care for the child. Sally and Steve’s parents had just learned of the pregnancy. The counsellor met with Sally and Steve and their parents. After signing adoption consent for James, Sally requested access four times per year for her and her parents. Steve did not request access for himself or family members.
Claire
Claire’s mother, Jane, attended counselling when she was five months pregnant. She was a single woman in her early twenties and had just found out that she was pregnant. Jane became pregnant to a man who was separated from his wife, but subsequently returned to live with her. Jane was extremely distressed about the pregnancy and the break-up of the relationship. She felt unprepared to be a single parent and felt she would have little support. The counsellor contacted the father who agreed with the plan for adoption. Jane signed an adoption consent when Claire was two-and-a-half weeks old and requested access twice per year.
Birth Mothers and Fathers
Birth Parents are ordinary people making hard decisions about the care of their children.
They make a voluntary decision to place a child for Adoption and sign Adoption Consents.
They may request regular meetings with their child and his/her adoptive family and they may ask for information to be exchanged regularly.
When signing consent they may request that they take part in selecting a family for their child and may ask that their child is placed with a family of specific religion, lifestyle or ethnic background. Wherever possible, their requests are met.
Open Adoption — a new way for adoptive families
Maintaining Contact with the Child’s Birth Family
Adoption is no longer surrounded in secrecy as it is now recognized that knowledge of origins are a vital part of children’s identity development.
The Birth Parents have made an active and positive decision for the care of their children. It is expected that they may wish to express their continuing interest in their child through meetings up to three to four times a year and with letters and photos.
The Adoption Legislation provides for access and/or information exchange between Birth Parents and Adopted Children. After a Birth Parent signs an Adoption Consent, he or she can express wishes about the frequency of access and/or information exchange with other family members, such as grandparents.
Wishes can also be expressed about the type of family including race and religion and families are selected who meet the parent’s wishes. The Infant Adoption Program usually engages the Birth Barents in the selection process.
The access and information exchange provisions are included in the Adoption Order which is granted by the Court if requested by the Birth Parents. While most situations are managed by cooperation, if the provisions are included in the Adoption Order there is a legal basis for dealing with disputes if they arise at a later time.
For access visits to benefit the child, it is vital that the Adoptive Parents and Birth Parents are able to accept each others’ family situation despite possible differences in life experiences and values. A worker from the Adoption and Permanent Care Service will assist with access arrangements until the parties involved are comfortable with managing them independently.
Eligibility to Apply to Infant Adoption Programs
Marriage - The Adoption Act of 1984 requires that a couple applying to adopt a child have been married or in a de facto relationship for at least two years.
Health - Applicants must be in good health and be active with a child until he/she is 18 years old. Age is considered when assessing each couple’s suitability to care for a child until 18.
Finance - Couples must demonstrate their ability to support a child. This refers to financial management, not income and wealth.
Further Criteria
Applicants are required to undergo a medical examination and a criminal record check and to provide references as part of the application and assessment process.
Assessment Process
Applicants will be assessed in relation to their suitability to adopt. This involves consideration of matters such as applicants’ personality, health, age, relationship and ability to provide a secure and beneficial environment for a child.
What Do I Need To Do?
Assistance for Prospective Adoptive Parents
AFAV Web Information Service (A.W.I.S.) via E-mail
This email address has been set up as an initial point of contact for people seeking help and information through the internet.
Please email the AFAV – A.W.I.S. Volunteers who will answer your query as soon as they are able. Should you not receive your reply within 14 days please contact us again by re-sending your e-mail.
Content supplied by AFAV. Last modified Tue, 11 Sep 2001. Maintained by TOTLD
