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ADOPTION PROCESS IN NSW 

Steps to follow when making an overseas adoption application in NSW.

1. Contact Adoption and Permanent Care Services of the NSW Department of Community Services (FACS) on (02) 9716 3000 and obtain a copy of 'Thinking about Adoption' which gives general information about adoption. This document can be accessed on the FACS website .

You can also email IntercountryAdoption@facs.nsw.gov.au

'Thinking about Adoption' contains an order form for the Adoption Information Package ($40.00 including postage) which gives more detailed information about adoption. It also contains an Expression of Interest (EOI) that you can send in if you wish to pursue adoption.

2.Once you receive the Adoption Information Package, read the material, choose a country/ programme and lodge the Expression of Interest Form (comes with the package) with FACS.

3. Contact the Non Government Organisation administering the programme (if applicable ) & join parent support groups (as many as you wish).

4. FACS will acknowledge receipt of the Expression of Interest Form and once they have screened the EOI for basic eligibility they will invite prospective applicants to contact Adoption and Permanent Care Services to book into a Preparation for Adoption Seminar and an Older Child Seminar if applicable (for children over the age of 2).

5. At the Seminar, applicants receive an adoption application kit.

6. Lodge your adoption application with FACS including relevant police clearances, medical reports, lodgement fees etc. as required.

7. Within three months FACS will assign a contracted adoption assessor (assessment takes an average of 4 months for a first application).

8. Following assessment, FACS will review the application and make a decision regarding approval.

9. Following approval applicants need to prepare an application to the sending country (of their choice) as required by that country.

10. Application is sent to the sending country and applicants await allocation of a child that needs a family.

11. Following allocation applicants travel to the sending country to pick up their child and finalise the adoption or guardianship/custody arrangements.


12. On return to Australia the child's placement is supervised by FACS for a number of months and FACS provides these post placement reports to the sending country.

13. Approximately nine months following the placement adoptive parents need to apply to finalise the adoption in NSW by applying for a NSW court order, followed by a NSW birth certificate and a Citizenship certificate. This applies to countries with whom Australia has a bi-lateral agreement or to countries who are members of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption but a final order is not made in the overseas country or a Compliance Certificate is not provided.

14. Applicants wishing to lodge a second application can ring Adoption and Permanent Care Services to obtain an adoption application kit once they have been back with their child for nine months and then can lodge an application. The process is the same from here.


 

 

 


Relative Adoption Fact Sheet