The number of adoptions from overseas countries has reached a
new high, with 434 intercountry adoptions recorded in 2004-05,
compared with 370 in 2003-04, says a new report released today from
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Adoptions Australia 2004-05 shows total
adoptions recorded in Australia in 2004-05 numbered 585, with the
majority of those (74%) being intercountry placement adoptions.
Report author Meredith Bryant says that just under a third (32%)
of all children adopted in 2004-05 were from China, while 22% were
from South Korea, 14% from Ethiopia and 11% from the
Philippines.
'This is the largest number of children adopted from outside
Australia on record,' Ms Bryant said.
Of the other adoptions in Australia, 15% were 'known' child
adoptions and 11% were local placement adoptions.
'In general, legislative changes introduced around Australia
over the last two decades have caused a downward trend in the
number of 'known' child adoptions. This year however, there were 86
'known' child adoptions, a substantial increase from a record low
of 59 in 2003-04,' she said.
Local adoptions continued the general trend of the last 30 years
and declined in number to 65 in 2004-05.
More than one third of all children adopted were under the age
of one.
Of children adopted from overseas, 37% were aged under one year,
and a further 30% were one year of age.
In local placement adoptions the majority of all children were
under the age of one.
'Known' child adoptions differed significantly in that 95% of
the children were aged five and over.
In addition to presenting adoption statistics provided by state
and territory community services departments, the report also
provides data on the number of requests for information and the
number of contact and information vetoes lodged by parties to an
adoption.
In 2004-05 there were 3,414 applications for identifying
information lodged, of which 72% were made by the adopted
person.
Where the age of the adopted person was known, 90% of adopted
people were aged over 25 years at the time of lodging an
application.
There were 56 contact and identifying information vetoes lodged
in 2004-05. In the previous year 63 vetos were lodged.
2 December 2005
Further information: Meredith Bryant, AIHW tel.
02 6244 1112 or 0407 915 851
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Adoptions Australia
2004-05 report.