"Adoption heartbreak" article
Adoption has been making the news more than usual around here. In today's Sunday Mail there's an article about how Deborra-lee Furness and husband Hugh Jackman returned to the US to adopt their children because the Australian Government's 'anti-adoption culture' and overwhelming red tape was making it difficult for them.
The paper version (ie. not online) has another article which provides some interesting figures. In Australia in 2004/2005 there were 410 babies adopted in Australia, from 25 countries. In comparison, the US had 21, 000 during this period. Australia rates as the lowest country in the Western world for its rate of intercountry adoption.
Debora-lee has called for Prime Minister John Howard to meet with her to discuss overhauling the adoption process.
I have mixed thoughts. I agree the process here isn't easy, but I don't think it should be. There have been many improvements in recent years, and it seems much of the wait is due to country quotas and long queues once a couple is approved. I believe Australia needs more agreements with more countries, and for current quotas to be reviewed and increased.
1 comment:
Wow, didn't know there was so much you guys had to go through. I thought we had a hard time when it took us 4 months from our first homestudy until our file was sent to China. I'm sure that if we come back to Australia we will have a harder time.
I love following your blog. Hope your timeline speeds up.
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