Concerns regarding adoption provisions in the 2013 NSW child protection legislation amendment bill
- Details
- Category: Proposed Child Protection Legislation Amendment Bill
- Created: Wednesday, 12 March 2014 23:30
- Written by David Mallard
![(Chris Johnston artwork)](/images/cache/5791a53f9af708498ab1980112a53e41_h150.jpg)
(Chris Johnston artwork)
The Child Protection Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 introduces a set of permanent placement principles (proposed section 10A) which would see adoption considered whenever a child or young person (other than children and young persons identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) cannot realistically be restored to his or her parents or placed in the guardianship of a relative, kin or suitable other.
Also, a proposed change to section 83(4) would require that the Director-General must consider whether adoption is appropriate any time it has been determined that restoration to the child’s parents is not realistic.
Concerns about this proposed approach to including adoption, which permanently severs the legal relationship between parents and child, include that:
Evidence does not establish that adoption produces better outcomes – instead, stability and quality of placements are important, which needs to be addressed by improving the management and resourcing of foster care placements: