Information on International Adoption
Welcome to Adoption Australia. The following is a little more information on what is involved.

In Australia the rate of adoptions has decreased over the last 30 years. There are a number of factors that have influenced that. The changing attitude to single parents and support that is offered to then is major factor as well as greater access to birth control and abortions. However there are also more options for those who are wanting to adopt. While adoptions of Australian born babies have decreased, inter-country adoptions have risen to almost twice the number of local children

If you are considering adopting a child form outside Australia then you need to get good advise from the start. Navigating your way through the process can be not only time consuming but stressful. If you are considering adopting from other countries you will need information on:

Information on inter-country (overseas) adoption
Details on the eligibility criteria from other countries
Information on international law and how this effects inter-country adoptions
Information on which countries are open to adoptions by Australian families
Detailed information on the adoption process in your state
what you may need to do to meet the eligibility criteria of your local state adoption department
Information on estimated costs and fees
Contact details for agencies, support groups and non-governmental organisation
Information about what other option you may have
information single parents or gay and lesbian couples

International adoption is not as simple as some celebrities have made it look. In Australia all adoptions are public and international adoptions must meet the criteria set out under the Hague convention and the number of children adopted from overseas each year depends on the countries offering children for adoption, and how any they offer up for international adoption as understandably they prefer local adoptions. So it is important to get the right advise to make sure your application is approved.

If you have any questions on International Adoption or about other issues involved with adoption, please fill in the form on our services page.