You may decide to place your child for adoption which means arranging for your child to be raised by another family. Adoption is permanent. It is a legal process and arrangements can only be made through adoption agencies. Adoption counsellors are legally approved to arrange adoptions in Victoria.
The purpose of counselling is to assist you in making an informed decision about options for the care of your child by providing support and information, and by assisting in exploring relevant issues.
Adoption Orders are usually granted in the County Court. The granting of an Adoption Order means that the child’s adoptive parents become the legal parents. The order affects the child’s name, their birth certificate and inheritance rights. The Adoption Order usually includes arrangements for contact between the child and the birth parent(s) or other relatives, and/or exchange of information about the child.
Application may be made to the Court to establish or vary conditions around ongoing contact or information exchange. An application to discharge an Adoption Order can be made if special circumstances exist or if a birth parent’s consent was obtained by improper means.
There are time frames early in the adoption process where you can stop adoption if you change your mind.
Your adoption counsellor will give you information on these time frames.
You can get more information to help you consider adoption here.