Who Can Adopt from Australia

The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Source: wikipedia.org.

Each State and Territory in Australia has its own legislation relating to domestic and intercountry adoption by residents of Australia. The legislation is generally referred to as the State's 'Adoption Act' and is supported by regulations which govern the process of adoption in that particular State or Territory.

Prospective adoptive parents residing in Australia and seeking to adopt children domestically or from overseas must meet the legislative requirements of the relevant State or Territory in order to be eligible for adoption.

Specific State or Territory adoption legislation and regulations can be obtained from the website of the relevant State or Territory adoption authorities ('State and Territory Central Authorities') (listed at the end of this flyer in the Contact Information section).

Residency

Australian residency requirements are dependent on the State or Territory in which the prospective adoptive parents reside. Generally, to be eligible to adopt, at least one of the prospective applicants must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia. Information about residency in Australia may be obtained from the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, from any Australian Embassy or Consulate, or from the website of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship at the [Department of Immigration and Citizenship http://www.immi.gov.au].

Age of Adopting Parents

Varies depending on the relevant State or Territory. Prospective adoptive parents must generally be at least 18 years of age.

Marriage

Varies depending on the relevant State or Territory. Generally married couples, de-facto couples, and single persons are able to adopt .

Income

Criteria used to assess suitability to adopt vary depending on the relevant State or Territory. Prospective adoptive parents' income may be relevant to determining their suitability to adopt in some States and Territories.

Other

Other eligibility requirements (for example, the health of prospective adoptive parents) are applicable depending on the requirements of the relevant State or Territory. Information about State specific eligibility requirements is available from the website of the relevant State Central Authority (listed at the end of this flyer in the Contact Information section).

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