The assessment process
Adoption assessments are undertaken by a qualified assessor for Adoption Services Queensland and a report is completed upon conclusion of the assessment.
- Assessment report
- Assessment interview
- What happens after assessment?
- Additional assessment information
- When is assessment completed?
Assessment report
This assessment report is considered in conjunction with all available information by the Team Leader or Manager of Adoption Services Queensland when making a decision about whether a couple who have expressed interest should be approved as prospective adoptive parents.
Both the Team Leader and Manager are delegated to make decisions about the assessment on behalf of the Director-General of the Department of Child Safety.
The assessor makes a recommendation about the couple's suitability to become prospective adoptive parents based on interviews and information obtained about the couple's competency or potential competency.
The assessor provides evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of the couple's potential to be suitable prospective adoptive parents.
Assessment interviews
Assessors arrange a number of interviews with the couple and their family over a period of time to allow for the collection and assessment of information. The interviews can take place in the couple's home, at a department office or other location if required. At least one interview must take place in the couple's own home.
The assessor is required to comply with Sections 11 and 14 of the Adoption of Children Regulation 1999.
Couples are provided with a copy of their assessment report before it is finalised and are invited to provide feedback to the assessor before the report is finalised and submitted to Adoption Services Queensland.
What happens after assessment?
Upon completion of the assessment process, a report is provided to the Team Leader or Manager which will recommend or not recommend the couple as prospective adoptive parents.
The recommendations made in the assessment report are supported by documented information that the couple is suitable or unsuitable to be adoptive parents.
In some circumstances, additional information may be needed by the Team Leader or Manager to make a decision about a couple's suitability, and a supplementary assessment report may be required from the assessor.
Additional assessment information
Additional information may include:
- further exploration of issues raised in the assessment report
- the views of the couple's extended family about the proposed adoption
- the views of the couple's children from a former relationship about the proposed adoption
- information about other adults living in the household
- additional medical or other professional reports from independent medical consultants if couples have health conditions that may affect their capacity to parent a child on a day-to-day basis
- information about the couple's financial circumstances, future earning capacity and ability to meet future expenses.
It is important to remember that the assessor does not make the decision about suitability - they provide information to assist the Team Leader or Manager in making a decision.
For most couples, going through assessment can be a challenging experience where they invite an assessor into their homes and provide intimate knowledge of their lives.
When is assessment completed?
Waiting to know the outcome of the assessment can be an anxious time. It is important to recognise that the assessment reports are complex and take time to complete.
Adoption Services Queensland staff and assessors recognise the importance of these reports and try to ensure they are complete within appropriate timeframes.
- Last updated
- 19 October 2007