Summary
The following are among the main findings of the report:
- In the year 1994-95, there were 855 adoptions in Australia—91 more than the previous year. Part of this difference was because data on privately arranged adoptions by step parents in New South Wales were previously not included. Without these adoptions the increase from 1993-94 to 1994-95 would be 6%.
- The majority of adoptions (535 or 63%) were by non-relatives; adoptions by step parents accounted for 313 (37%) and adoptions by other relatives seven (1%) of the total number of adoptions.'
- The majority (73%) of children adopted by relatives were aged between five and 14 years, whereas 45% of children adopted by non-relatives were aged under one year, and a further 37% aged between one and four years.
- Of children adopted by non-relatives, 42% were born overseas. There were almost equal numbers of boys and girls (110 and 114 respectively) in the group of overseas-born adoptees.
- The number of overseas-born children adopted peaked at 420 in 1989-90, but fell by 46% to 1992-93 and has remained virtually unchanged since then.
- The majority (82%) of adoptions of Australian-born children by non-relatives involved an ex-nuptial child.
- There were 243 ex-nuptial Australian-born children adopted by non-relatives in 1994-95, a decrease of 11% since the previous year, and a decrease of 54% from 1988-89.
- There were 99 more adoptions by step-parents in 1994-95 than in 1993-94. This difference was mainly accounted for by an increase of 43 adoptions by step-parents in Western Australia, and the inclusion of 48 privately arranged adoptions by step-parents in New South Wales.
- Seven of the 12 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children adopted were placed with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.
- In 1994-95, 6,252 applications were made for information about past adoptions in Australia.