Adopting a child
Find out if you can adopt and learn about the types of adoption, waiting times and costs.
Who can adopt
To adopt a child in the ACT, you must:
- live in the ACT
- be at least 25
- be on the Register of Suitable People.
To be added to the Register of Suitable People, you must:
- attend adoption education sessions
- agree to interviews, police and medical checks
- provide referee reports
- be approved by a panel experienced in adoption.
If you're adopting as a couple
You must also:
- have lived together in a domestic partnership for at least 3 years
- prove to the court that your partnership is stable and committed.
If you're adopting as an individual
You must not be in a domestic partnership, unless you are a stepparent of the child you want to adopt.
If you're adopting from overseas
There are extra criteria for adopting a child from overseas.
You must be an Australian citizen. If you are applying as a couple, at least one person must be an Australian citizen.
Each country also has its own criteria.
Check if you can adopt from Australia’s intercountry adoption partners.
Types of adoption
There are 3 types of adoption you can consider:
- local adoption, where you do not know the child before the adoption (and the birth parents placed their child for adoption)
- known-child adoption, where you know the child before adoption (you are a foster carer or step-parent).
- intercountry adoption, where you adopt a child from overseas.
Open adoptions
All adoptions in Australia are open adoptions.
This means birth parents and their children can stay in contact after an adoption if it is best for the child.
The child will have a contact plan that will be lodged with the ACT Supreme Court when you apply for an adoption court order.
Waiting times
The adoption process can be long and complex. This is because we need to:
- make sure adoption is best for the child
- consider the rights of everyone involved
- make sure you’re suitable to be a parent
- follow legal requirements and court processes.
For local adoption
There are very few children placed by their parents for adoption in Australia.
From 2018 to 2022 there were only 3 local adoptions in the ACT.
For this reason, we cannot tell you how long you’ll wait. Unfortunately, you may never be matched with a child.
We encourage potential adoptive parents to consider becoming a foster carer.
Foster carers give safe and caring homes to children who are unable to live with their birth parents. If a child in foster care cannot return to their family, you may be able to care for them permanently.
For known child adoption
It is more likely for children to be adopted by people they know, like a foster carer or step-parent.
It usually takes between 1 and 3 years to complete a known child adoption after you are placed on the Register of Suitable People.
For intercountry adoption
It can take many years to complete an intercountry adoption. The time from approval of your application to placing a child with you is about 4 years. This time varies between countries.
Learn more about the challenges of intercountry adoption.
Costs
Costs vary depending on the type of adoption.
You may have personal costs (such as legal fees) and pay fees to the:
- ACT Government
- Australian Government
- overseas adoption agency.
Contact us about the costs for local and known-child adoption.
Intercountry adoption costs
Fees can be between $10,000 and $40,000.
You will pay fees in Australia and the country you adopt from.
Fees may include:
- 2-day ACT adoption education class
- adoption application
- private assessment
- adoption visa
- post placement reports
- Australian citizenship.
You will also have other costs including:
- travel and accommodation
- document translation fees.
Find out more about the fees charged by overseas adoption authorities.
Talk to us about ACT adoptions
Child and Youth Protection Services looks after all adoptions in the ACT.
We guide you through the adoption process and support everyone involved.
We also support:
- the child to understand their views, which we’ll use to help decide if adoption is best for them
- birth parents and legal guardians
- ACT Together when foster carers want to adopt
- the ACT Government Solicitor to resolve any legal issues
- the ACT Supreme Court or the Family Court to complete adoptions.
Call
02 6207 1069
Email
adoptions@act.gov.au