Adoption

For birth parents and adoptive parents - the adoption process, how to apply, adoption orders and open adoption. Also, finding birth parents and past adoption.

Browse Adoption

About adoption: for birth parents

If you are considering adoption for your child, this information will guide you through the process, help you make a decision, and answer questions you may have.
- Considering adoption for your child
  
  Information for parents, including Aboriginal parents, who are considering adoption for their child
- Alternatives to adoption
  
  Adoption is not the only option if you are struggling with your baby or child, there is support available and also temporary or long-term foster care.
- Will I still be able to have contact with my child?
  
  Birth parents often have a desire to continue being part of their child's life after adoption. This can be achieved through open adoption.
- The adoption process for birth parents
  
  Information about signing the consent form for adoption, what to do if you change your mind, your child's name before and after adoption, what personal information you can give to your child, and your say in who the adoptive parents are.
- When children in care are adopted
  
  Your child can be adopted if they are in out-of-home care. Read more about the process, consent and court requirements, including how to stop an adoption order.
- What happens when an adoption order is made
  
  Information about adoption orders issued by the NSW Supreme Court, including changes to the child's birth certificate, adoption plans, and access and contact with the child's birth parents.
- What is an adoption plan
  
  Find out more about an adoption plan, which sets out how your child will learn about who they are and where they come from, and how many times per year you can see or contact your child.
- Access to adoption information for birth fathers
  
  How birth fathers can access their child's adoption information, including what to do if your name is not on the child's original birth certificate.
Adopting a child

When considering adopting a child, some options include local and intercountry adoption, out-of-home care, special needs and intrafamily adoptions.
- Want to adopt?
  
  Explanation of what adoption is, who can adopt and the different types of adoption available, including local, intercountry and intrafamily.
- What is open adoption
  
  Learn more about open adoption: what it is, its benefits and what it means for you, the child and their birth family.
- The adoption process
  
  Adopting a child can take some time. Here is a step-by-step explanation of what happens in the adoption process.
- What happens when an adoption order is made
  
  Information about adoption orders issued by the NSW Supreme Court, including changes to the child's birth certificate, adoption plans, and access and contact with the child's birth parents.
- Out-of-home care adoption
  
  Find out more about the process of adopting a child who is in out-of-home care or in your foster care, and the out-of-home care adoption allowance.
- Adopting within the family
  
  Legal requirements and application process for intrafamily adoption, which is adopting a child by a step parent or relative.
- Adopting locally
  
  Information for couples and families who want to adopt babies and children locally in NSW, including a list of adoption agencies other than FACS.
- Adopting from overseas
  
  Find more about intercountry adoption if you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, including waiting times, fees and costs, and legal requirements.
- Adopting children with special care needs
  
  Information about adopting a child with special care needs, including the adoption process, adoption subsidy and which agency to contact.
- Adult adoptions
  
  Information about adopting someone who is aged 18 years or older, perhaps to formalise a child-parent relationship or for inheritance purposes.
- Aboriginal people and adoption
  
  Adoption is not generally accepted within the Aboriginal community, however there are some circumstances where adoption may occur.
- Torres Strait Islander people and adoption
  
  Customary Torres Strait Islander adoptions are private arrangements and therefore not legally recognised unless there is a formal adoption order.
- NSW birth certificates for children whose adoptions were finalised overseas
  
  Children whose legal adoptions were finalised overseas with FACS’ assistance are now entitled to obtain NSW birth certificates.
- Support organisations
  
  A list of organisations that offer support for local and intercountry adoptions, as well as international playgroups and social groups.
- The Institute of Open Adoption Studies
  
  The Institute of Open Adoption Studies has been funded by NSW Government in an effort to increase the number of open adoptions from care in NSW.
- Open Adoption Hotline online enquiry form
  
  The Open Adoption Hotline has been established to help carers and others learn more about the adoption process.
- Open Adoption Forums
  
  Information about the FACS Open Adoption Forum, which involved stakeholders in out-of-home care and adoption sharing their experiences.
Finding information on past adoptions

For people who want to apply for past adoption information or those who are considering making contact with an adopted person, birth parent or family member.
- Before you start your search
  
  If you are looking for your birth mother, birth father or birth relatives, here are some things you should think about, including how intensely emotional it will be.
- Making contact: things to consider
  
  Information about how to make contact, what might happen after contact is made, planning for the first meeting and having ongoing contact.
- Adoptions before 2010: applying if you're under 18
  
  How to find information about past adoptions that occurred before 2010, for people with direct entitlement and are under age 18.
- Adoptions before 2010: applying if you're 18 or over
  
  How to find information about past adoptions that occurred before 2010, for people with and without direct entitlement, and are age 18 or older.
- Adoptions after 2010
  
  For adoptions that occurred after 2010, adopted people, adoptive and birth parents, and siblings of an adopted person can now gain information about each other from the day the adoption order is made.
- Reunion and Information Register (RIR)
  
  Find out more about the Reunion and Information Register – formerly the Adopted Person's Contact Register – which helps people separated by adoption make contact with each other.
- Access to adoption information for birth fathers
  
  How birth fathers can access their child's adoption information, including what to do if your name is not on the child's original birth certificate.
- Social and medical information
  
  How to request access to social and medical information that was provided at the time of an adoption.
- Inheriting a deceased person’s right to adoption information
  
  If an adopted person or birth parent dies, a relative can apply to ‘inherit’ the deceased person’s rights to adoption information.
- Advance Notice Register
  
  For adoptions made before 2010, birth or adoptive parents and adopted people can apply to delay the release of identifying information, giving them time to prepare for possible contact.
- Contact Veto Register
  
  The Contact Veto Register enables a birth parent or an adopted person to prevent another party to the adoption from making contact with them. A Contact Veto can only be requested if the adoption order was made before 26 October 1990.

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Adoption

Browse Adoption

About adoption: for birth parents

Adopting a child

Finding information on past adoptions