So apparently now after day 2 of Adoption training, we are to wait 10 days before calling our regions to request an application to apply for infant adoption as all the records are centralised therefore the regions will not know that you have attended a education group. The hands of DHS move very slowly.

Day 2 consisted of more talking about fears and anxiety that we may feel regarding access, we had a guest speaker who was a psychologist who talked about common issues she has presented in her office from all sides of the adoption triangle. We were to have a guest speaker who is an adoptee but she was unable to attend. So fortunately we have a husband in our group who was adopted so he took to the podium to tell us about his experience. He was adopted when it was still a ’closed adoption’ so he didn’t know that he was adopted at all until about 14 years of age when a child at his school told him. He has 2 siblings which are also adopted.  

So the actual run down for the day was:

  • Welcome – Reflection on last week
  • Relinquishment process for birth parents
  • Identity – Components of identity, differences between biological & adoptive parenting (including heredity vs environmental differences)
  • Guest Speaker – Dianne Pearce, psychologist – child developments/lifecycles & identity issues in adoption
  • Questions on the Fears List
  • Homework – genograms, time pies and eco-maps
  • Adoptive Person’s experience
  • Strategies to help a child maintain roots
  • Cultural issues
  • Contact (Access) – fears/anxieties, purpose of contact and how does it work?
  • Issues in helping a child maintain knowledge
  • Where to from here? – Assessment process, regional contact and placement process
  • Questions and Fears not previously addressed.

 The Processes in detail:

 Relinquishment Process

  1. Timing of referral
  2. Where birth parents are at
  3. Additional family circumstances
  4. Post Birth – Monitoring & evaluation of birth parents – ongoing discussion with birth parents – health and status of the baby – legal requirements (consent can not be signed by birth parents until baby is 18 days old)
  5. Post Hospital – Foster care – access (birth parents can still have access whilst in care) – consent taking (18 days after baby born) – selection of adoptive family (family is not selected until the consent period is over with is approx 6 weeks as family can ask for 2 week extension from the original 18 days to make up their minds)

Application and Assessment Process

  1. Contact your region to Request an Application (after 10 days from end of education sessions)
  2. Return completed Application to Region
  3. Medical
  4. References – total of 4 – 2 family members and 2 members of community
  5. Police Check
  6. Life Story
  7. Assessment by Social Worker/s (usually 4 -5 visits, birth in home and office)
  8. Applicant Assessment Committee convenes
  9. Approval – Non-Approval – Deferral
  10. Permission to forward assessment to CRE (Central Resources Exchange) with profile if approved
  11. Inclusion in State Wide Pool

(appeal process available if deferral or not approved)

TIME LINE FROM EDUCATION GROUP TO APPLICANT ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE IS APPROX 12 MONTHS