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 does it mean that adoption is the plan for my child
The Children’s Court can’t make an adoption order. So if your child has recently been removed from your care and you are going through the Children’s Court, an adoption order won’t be made in the Children’s Court.
DCJ might tell the Children’s Court that adoption is the plan for your child in the future. This means that DCJ think that adoption would be a good idea for your child in the future, and they may be placed with carers who would be willing to adopt.
If your child has recently been removed from your care, the proceedings in the Children’s Court need to be finalised before any plans for the adoption of your child can start. This can take quite a while. Adoption orders can only be made by the Supreme Court. The Children’s Court can’t make an adoption order.
If you plan to make changes to your life so that your child can be returned to you, it is really important that you do this as quickly as possible. Once an adoption order is made, it will not be possible for your child to be returned to your care.