Where do we begin?

  • Contact Department for Child Protection, Adoption Services, 9222 2555.
    • You will be sent an Information Pack and invitation to an Information Seminar.
    • The seminars are currently monthly, there may be a wait to attend same.
    • START reading, getting information on adoption from websites
    • JOIN a support group:
  • Education Seminars.
  • Lodge an Expression of Interest Form.
    • You need to have completed the education seminars first and then lodge the form within 12 weeks of attending last education seminar.
  • Assessment Seminar at Department of Child Protection.

    At the seminar you will be given the following to complete before you can lodge an Application To Adopt:

    • Police Clearances
    • Medical Forms
    • Referees
  • Application to Adopt
    • When the above forms have been returned and the Medical and Police clearances have been passed. Lodge a formal Application to Adopt with an Application fee of $750 and Assessment Fee of $986.
  • Assessment by Private Assessor
    • Assessment usually takes approximately 6 weeks; the assessor has 12 weeks to complete the assessment and return the Report to the Dept.
    • During this time you will need to do a Project book on the country you have chosen to adopt from.
  • Approval to Adopt
    • The Adoptions Application Committee meets monthly to review applicants' assessment reports. You can be approved to adopt and have your name on both the local and Intercountry register, though you can only have you file in one country at a time with Intercountry.
  • Preparation of Home study
    • Once approved you prepare your file to be sent to the country you have chosen to adopt from and/or a local adoption profile.
  • File sent to Country
    • The wait begins for an allocation of a child……………………..
    • Waiting times change constantly between countries and programs.
  • Allocation of a Child
  • Travel
    • Travel after allocation is different for each country.
    • Some travel in weeks others takes months.
  • Arrival Home
    • Life begins for your new family.
    • Post placement visits monthly for 6 months by the Dept.
    • Preparation of Post Placement Reports for countries.
    • Court Orders finalized for countries needing same.
    • Citizenship is finalized.