Adoption, Alternative and Kinship Care

Adoption

In Queensland, adoption is a legal process which is guided by the Adoption Act 2009 and Adoption Regulation 2009, where legal rights and responsibility for a child are permanently transferred from the birth parents to the child’s adoptive parents. This means that after the child is adopted the adoptive parents, not the birth parents, will be the child’s legal parents. Adoption can only be arranged through Adoption Services. It is an offence to attempt to privately arrange an adoption in Queensland.

Alternative and Kinship Care

In some cases family members and people close to you may be able to provide care to a child or support you to parent if that is what you want. There are also formal foster care arrangements and services. These arrangements can be called alternative care or kinship care.

Support After Adoption 

If you’ve placed a child for adoption, or were yourself adopted, and need some support, there are specific counselling services who may be able to assist.  

In Queensland, these include: