and adoption unit capacity enhanced
Queensland couples wishing to be assessed as adoptive parents will not be prevented from expressing interest because of arbitrary age limits when adoption registers re-open in September, Minister for Child Safety Mike Reynolds announced today.

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Child Safety, Mike Reynolds
chil...@cabinet.qld.gov.au
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06/08/04

Mr Reynolds said he had amended the Adoption of Children Regulation 1999 to completely remove maximum age limits from the eligibility criteria for all categories of adoption including the Intercountry Adoption and Queensland General Children's Adoption Programs.

"There is a lack of evidence linking adoption outcomes to any particular age range and I removed the age limits from the eligibility criteria accordingly," Mr Reynolds said.

"This amendment is an exciting development for many Queensland couples wishing to either complete their families or create their families through adoption," he said.

"I want modern, world leading adoption legislation in place in Queensland that is focussed on the needs of children requiring families, as well as ensuring a positive and efficient system is in place to deliver adoption services. This decision is a step towards that goal."

Mr Reynolds also announced that the Department of Child Safety would begin advertising for add itionaladoptioncontractworkerstomorrowtoincreasethecapacityofthesystemtobeabletocompleteassessments.

He said the Department would also be seeking external reviewers to increase the transparency of the decisions made and the quality of assessments.

"Advertisements will be posted in regional newspapers to ensure there is a qualified pool of assessors for prospective adoptive parents in rural and regional Queensland," he said.

Mr Reynolds said his decision to remove the age limit followed numerous representations from the community and was supported by feedback obtained during the initial phases of the Adoption Legislation Review.

"The review commenced in 2002 and has considered most adoption issues, including eligibility criteria.

"The initial public consultation phase indicated widespread agreement that current age eligibility criteria did not necessarily meet the differing needs of children in both Queensland and overseas.

"Participants agreed that the effect of a person's age on their capacity to provide long-term, stable care for a child should be considered in conjunction with other factors in suitability assessment.

"While age limits could have been dealt with as part of the overall review of Queensland's adoption legislation, I moved urgently to address this particular issue ahead of the opening of expressions of interest on 12 September this year.

"I believe it is imperative that this change occur ahead of the opening of the adoption registers so that more Queensland families have the opportunity to express an interest in being assessed as prospective adoptive parents.

"It is also in the best interests of children for there to be a reasonable pool of approved applicants to match with children requiring families in Queensland."

Mr Reynolds said that although age limitations had now been removed in Queensland, applicants wishing to adopt a child from overseas would still need to meet the eligibility requirements, including age, for the specific country they were hoping to a adopt a child from.

Mr Reynolds said the review had been a highly successful exercise in obtaining feedback from the community about the vast majority of adoption issues, ranging from the very concept of adoption itself through to the selection of adoptive parents.

He said he intended to take a submission to Cabinet in the near future seeking authority to prepare new legislation to govern adoptions in Queensland.

There will be an opportunity for further public comment once a draft Bill is released.

Mr Reynolds said he would continue to seek input from the community about all aspects of adoptions in Queensland.

More information about adoptions in Queensland can be found on the Department of Communities website at www.communities.qld.gov.au. Expressions of Interest will reopen for eight weeks on 12 September 2004.

For more information please call
John Ross on 0408 728 996 or
Karla Steen 0407 582 041.