The adoption process

‘Thinking about Adoption’ factsheet and the  information on Adoption fees and costs fact sheet

You will have a discussion with a worker from Open Adoption and Permanency Services (OAPS) who will ask about your family and experiences and determine your program suitability. If suitable we will send you the ‘Considering Adoption’ booklet and an Expression of Interest (EOI) form.

Submit the Expression of Interest (EOI) form if you meet the requirements of your preferred program.

In the Local Adoption and Permanent Care Program, attendance at a seminar is by invitation, depending on the needs of the program.

In the Intercountry Program, an assessment of your openness and cultural match to children in need of intercountry adoption will occur and you will receive an invitation to book into a seminar if considered suitable.

Your EOI is valid for 12 months from the date that you receive written acknowledgement of EOI receipt from OAPS.

Attend a two day seminar ‘Core Training’ – a Program Nomination Form (PNF) is provided at the end of training. Once OAPS reviews your PNF an adoption application package will be sent to you.

Lodge a formal application to adopt within 6 weeks of attending the seminar. Your application will be screened to see if DCJ can proceed with your adoption application. The screening occurs after all the required documentation is received (such as medical reports, criminal record checks, personal references, birth/marriage and other certificates).

Undergo OAPS assessment including interviews with an adoption assessor. The assessor will write a report about how you meet the legislative requirements of the NSW Adoption Act 2000. 

Approval decision is made by OAPS. If your application is approved an approval decision is valid for 4 years and your names will be entered on the DCJ Register of approved adoptive parents.

If approved for Local Adoption or Permanent Care, you enter the pool of approved adoptive applicants and prepare a profile for consideration by birth parents. Placement occurs if you are chosen as the family best able to meet a child’s needs and the birth parent’s requests. There is no ‘waiting list’ or date priority system. If also authorised for permanent care, your profile may also be considered by a DCJ district or agency out of home care staff where a child is in need of a permanent family.

If approved in the Intercountry Program, you will be supported by your caseworker to compile a dossier which is  sent to the overseas country for their approval decision. If approved, your application will remain on their waiting list pending an adoption proposal. The decision to place a child for adoption with a family rests with the overseas adoption authorities. Timeframes vary from country to country.

Please note that in both programs, caseworkers are allocated to you and support you while you wait for a child to matched to your family. An annual review will occur on the anniversary of your approval and a formal re-assessment at the end of the approval period. Intercountry adoption requires a more formal update to the assessment every two years.

Placement processes and timeframes vary for each program (Local, Permanent care and intercountry adoption) All proposed placements include an initial meeting where prospective adoptive parents receive all the relevant information DCJ holds about the child and their social and medical history before making a decision to parent the child. The length of time taken to introduce a child to your family will be determined on an individual basis to ensure the process is suitable for the individual child’s circumstances and in their best interest.