Intercountry adoptive parent education

• Module 1 - Introduction
  • What is adoption?
  • Who is involved in the adoption process?
  • The adoption process
  • Adoption Services Queensland
  • Suggested reading
• Module 2 - The needs of overseas children requiring permanent adoptive placements in Queensland
  • Overseas country information
  • Are you suited to intercountry adoption?
  • Motivation to adopt
  • Issues and challenges faced by adoptive parents
  • Placement proposals
  • Building resilience with your adopted child
  • Suggested reading
• Module 3 - Child development
  • Understanding child development
  • Factors that impact on child development
  • A child's understanding of adoption
  • Suggested reading
• Module 4 - Attachment and bonding
  • Attachment theory
  • What is attachment and bonding?
  • Types of attachment
  • Attachment behaviour
  • Signs of healthy attachment and bonding
  • Attachment disorder
  • Impact of attachment on adoptive parenting
  • The arousal-relaxation cycle
  • Developing an attachment with your child
  • Suggested reading
• Module 5 - Separation, grief and loss
  • Definition of loss and grief
  • The impact of loss on adoptive parents
  • The impact of loss on adopted children
  • Effects and strategies for dealing with a child's loss
  • Understanding the impact of loss on an adopted child
  • The impact of loss on birth parents
  • The grief process
  • Suggested reading
• Module 6 - Identity and culture
  • Your feelings about ethnic background and culture
  • The impact of adoption on your family
  • Definition of ethnicity, culture and identity
  • Addressing cultural identity
  • The cultural heritage plan
  • Barriers to developing a child's cultural identity
  • A child's racial awareness
  • Stages of development of racial identity
  • Combating racism
  • Telling your child they are adopted
  • The adoptive family life cycle
  • Suggested reading
• Module 7 - Preparing for assessment
  • Departmental assessment considerations
  • Assessing a couple's suitability
  • Meeting the assessment criteria
  • The assessment process
  • Placement considerations
  • Assessors - their perspective
  • Establishing a family tree and Ecomap
  • Suggested reading
• Module 8 - Placement information
  • Medical assessment of children adopted from overseas
  • Lodging an application with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
  • Migration Health Check
  • Naming your child
  • Travel arrangements
  • Arrival in Australia
  • Queensland Birth Certificate
  • Australian Citizenship
  • Adoptive parent support groups
  • Life Story Book
  • Suggested reading
• Module 9 - General reading
• Family profile
  • My family profile
• Printable version
• Contacts

Departmental assessment considerations

After a couple's eligibility is established and they are invited to progress their Expression of Interest, an assessment is undertaken to ensure that the needs and interests of the child to be adopted would be best met by the couple wanting to become adoptive parents.

Section 11 of the Adoption of Children Regulation 1999 sets out the matters assessed by the department in determining a couple's suitability as adoptive parents.

Section 11 prescribes that the department must consider:

• the quality of the couple's marriage, including the strengths and level of stability within the relationship
• the couple's capacity and capability to be an adoptive parent, including:
  • their emotional capacity and other personal characteristics
  • their financial stability
  • their ability and willingness to ensure a child's ongoing safety and wellbeing
  • any other matters relevant to their capacity to provide for a child's emotional, physical, educational, recreational and social needs
• the couple's attitudes to and understanding of:
  • children and their physical and emotional development
  • the responsibilities and duties of parenthood
  • the issues of adoptive parenting, including informing a child of their adoption and the significance of the child's birth parents and their families
  • the couple's ability and willingness to understand the child's background and to develop or maintain the child's Indigenous, ethnic or cultural identity
  • participation in adoption education programs, including any programs conducted by the department (participation can be undertaken online, through face-to-face consultation or both).

Section 14 of the legislation prescribes that the department must also consider the couple's understanding of and interest in the country and culture of the child, and their willingness to help the child learn about their country and culture.

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Last updated

19 October 2007