ADOPTION  FAQ's

IMPORTANT UPDATE AS AT 28 JUNE 2012 the AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CLOSED THE  ETHIOPIAN ADOPTION PROGRAM.

AUSTRALIA NO LONGER  HAS ANY AFRICAN ADOPTION PROGRAMS.

I live in Australia and am interesting in finding out more about how to adopt from overseas, where do I start ?

All Intercountry Adoption in Australia is through State & Territory Central Authorities.  As a starting point, contact your state/territory department responsible for adoption.  There is a huge amount of information available on the Commonwealth Attorney General Departments Website
You should also be aware of the Australian Immigration requirements:
http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/36adopting.htm

I am working overseas and while I have been out of Australia, adopted a child/ren, and now I want to come back to Australia – how do I bring my adopted child/ren back to Australia ?

Refer to the Immigration & Visa information below, and the links above.
Fact Sheet - Expatriate Adoption- http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/36expat-adoption.pdf
Refer to Australian Immigration http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/36adopting.htm

Is AACASA only for Ethiopian adoption & adoptive families ?
No, families with children adopted from all African countries are welcome. Because Australia only has formal agreements with Ethiopia, most of our families/members have Ethiopian adoptees, however we hope in the future other African programs may open.  At the moment we do have members with children from other African countries aside from Ethiopia.

Our family has migrated or returned to Australia after living overseas and want to connect with other adoptive families with African children, can we join AACASA?
Yes,  AACASA welcomes children and families from all African backgrounds, and encourages people who have adopted as ex-pats to join, as there is no other Australian support group focused solely on Africa in Australia, and you will enable important connections and friendships to develop, for you and your children.

How long does it take to adopt ?
The time will vary from state to state, but many families wait between 5 and 7 years before an adoption is complete.  It’s possible of course for this to be shorter, and longer, and no definitive timeframes can be given.  History has shown that adoption programs can be affected by many factors outside of your control and the control of State Authorities.   You should speak with your State Authority that looks after Intercountry Adoption and ask for an idea of timeframes, although it is likely to be very non committal due to the nature of ICA.

If I am one or more of the following;  single/gay/divorced/ have biological children/ a foster carer/suffer a medical condition,    will this prevent me from adopting ?
Refer to the Attorney  General Departments website for requirements for each country’s adoption program.  Also check your own state requirements. 
http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/IntercountryAdoption_CountryPrograms_IntercountryAdoption
As well as each State having their own requirements, you must also meet the requirements of the country from which you would like to adopt. The requirements vary from country to country, and also can, and do change, with changes to the political and social environment.  For up to date information you are best to connect with those reference points.

We’ve made the decision to adopt and are considering Ethiopia as our country of choice, is there someone I can meet or chat with on the phone?
Yes, please use the contact us form and we’ll be happy to put you in touch with your AACASA State Rep or a family in your local area if possible. CONTACT US