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

Travel arrangements

Both parents are required to travel to the overseas country to take custody of their adopted child.

This allows adoptive parents to meet their child in familiar surroundings, experience the child's culture and meet the caregivers who have played a significant role in the child's life.

If you are planning for only one parent to travel, you must discuss this with Adoption Services Queensland and obtain approval prior to your departure.

Adoption Services Queensland will advise when you can make travel arrangements to take custody of your child. Depending upon the country's adoption program, this period may vary significantly.

You will be notified in advance of when you can expect to travel overseas, and you may wish to contact a travel agent to make tentative bookings around possible travelling times.

Under no circumstances should you travel to the specific country until the immigration requirements have been finalised.

Once Adoption Services Queensland advises that you are able to travel, you can finalise your travel arrangements with your travel agent. Adoption Services Queensland will require the following information from you:

• flight number, date and time of arrival in the specific country
• departure details from the specific country to Australia
• accommodation details.

Adoption Services Queensland will forward the above details to the welfare authority in the country you are adopting your child from.

We advise that you contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to check any travel warnings to ensure your safety. You can contact DFAT on 1300 139 281 (local call cost within Australia) or visit the DFAT Smart Traveller website.

Note: if you experience any difficulties while overseas, you can contact Adoption Services Queensland during business hours on +61 7 3404 3112 or our Child Safety After Hours Service Centre on +61 7 3235 9999.

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Last updated

19 October 2007