Adoption reforms announced by the Federal Government have been welcomed by Christian advocates for adoption, but welfare workers warn that the reforms could deepen a new series of problems. 

Announcing a commitment to make overseas adoption easier and faster for Australian families, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, “Where there are children who legitimately need a safe and loving home, and where there are people who dream of being able to provide that home, we are committed to streamlining arrangements to enable them to come together.”

The issue has been placed on the agenda for discussion at the next Council of Australian Government (COAG) in April next year.

Adoption has been on the decline in Australia, with statistics from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showing a 77 per cent decline in the number of adoptions over the last 25 years. In Australia last year, 339 children were adopted; 210 locally and 129 from overseas. Taiwan was the main country of origin for Australian adoptions, with 37 children adopted in 2012-13.

Kylie, and her husband, from New South Wales, were considering adoption from Taiwan for their first child in 2000, but in the adoption process were advised to change countries midway through, and so started again. Their story, told on Bible Society Australia’s Christmas video series this year, shows the personal challenges and strains for the rare Australian couple who make it all the way through the current adoption process.

“I know what it’s like to long for a child, as God longs for us, and to wait and wait and be desperate for them to come…” says Kylie.

After years of paperwork, Kylie and her husband adopted their daughter Malia from the Philippines, and eventually the couple decided to adopt again, welcoming their son Andrew, also from the Philippines.

“I think God has expanded our view of orphans, and the need for adoption. He’s expanded our hearts… and having experienced the joy of adoption, you can see that it’s all worthwhile.”

After seeing the typhoon sweep through Philippines this year, and the devastation it left in its wake, Kylie’s family have decided to adopt again.

“We’ve got room in our house for more children, we’ve got room in our hearts for more children. We can’t just sit here and do nothing. So, we’ve decided to do it all again.”

While the Government says it wants to help families like Kylie’s, in making it easier to adopt from overseas, Eternity spoke to an experienced adoption counsellor who pointed out that the Abbott government’s reforms will be limited by the overseas issues of child trafficking and national pride. “Countries don’t like to have the reputation of baby exporters, so they shut down programmes”, she said.

While overseas adoptions are still fraught with difficulties, and reform may take time, local adoption advocates see the announcement as the first step to creating a more positive environment for adoption within Australia.

Repercussions from the forced adoption policies of the 1950-70s are still being felt today, with adoption continuing to be stigmatised in the community, says Helen Parker, from crisis pregnancy centre The Babes Project in Victoria.

She hopes the Government’s overseas adoption commitment will translate to local adoption policies as well. “We need to remember just how many vulnerable children there are right here in Australia – and there are so many.”

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has left that door open, calling for a national discussion about bringing all the states into line on local adoptions.

Helen believes a key way to stem the rising numbers of abortion in Australia is to actively promote alternatives—including adoption—to provide positive choices for women.

“We’ve worked with young women thinking about placing their baby up for adoption, but it’s such a dehumanizing, alienating process, that they’ve decided not to. Later down the track, some of these women [who don’t have abortions instead] find they’re simply unable to care for their child, and they end up in foster care.

“I think this announcement will have a longer term impact on pregnancy support. When offering women options in their pregnancy, we hopefully will be able to feel that adoption is a positive option for her, knowing she’ll be well supported and that our communities have a greater understanding of what adoption means and how to support them, and their babies, well.”