Adopting a child from Queensland
The Queensland and Intercountry Adoption Handbook is available from Adoption Services Queensland. The handbook provides information for couples interested in being assessed as suitable adoptive parents for a child in Queensland.
Children in Queensland requiring placement
Children requiring adoptive placements in Queensland are generally aged up to 2 years of age.
Children requiring adoptive placements may have a range of medical issues, including:
- Hepatitis C
- prematurity
- minor and/or correctable physical disabilities
- a history of mental illness in the family.
The child may also come from a complex family and social background relating to their cultural background, extended birth family, the birth parent’s social position and the circumstances of the child’s conception.
Eligibility to express interest
Couples are eligible to express interest if:
- they are a man and a woman who have been living together as partners (either married or de facto) continuously, for at least 2 years, and are currently living together
- they are both adults who live in Queensland
- at least one of them is an Australian citizen
- the female partner is not pregnant
- neither partner is undergoing fertility treatment and has not undergone fertility treatment within the previous 6 months
- they are not an intended parent under a surrogacy arrangement within the meaning of the Surrogacy Act 2010 , or they have been an intended parent for a surrogacy arrangement within the meaning of the Surrogacy Act 2010 and the surrogacy arrangement ended at least 6 months earlier
- they don’t have custody of a child under 1 year of age (does not include children for whom the applicant is an approved carer)
- they don’t have a child who has been in their custody for less than 1 year.
How to express interest
Couples interested in having their suitability to be adoptive parents assessed must complete the Adoption Expression of Interest form available from Adoption Services Queensland.
After an expression of interest is lodged
- The couple is notified if they meet eligibility requirements.
- If eligible, the couple's names are entered into the expression of interest register.
- If selected from the expression of interest register (to have your suitability assessed), the couple will be sent a notice of selection for assessment.
- If the couple don’t receive a notice of selection for assessment within 2 years, their expression of interest expires. A couple may then lodge another expression of interest if they want to.
The number of couples to be selected for assessment from the expression of interest register varies each year. This is due to the number of assessments being based on the anticipated needs of children likely to require adoptive placements.
About the assessment
When a couple receives a notice of selection for assessment, they are jointly assessed to see if they are suitable to parent an adopted child together. However they must also be found suitable as individuals.
Assessment is a comprehensive process that involves information being gathered and analysed from various sources. Information gathered for the assessment may include:
- criminal and domestic violence history checks
- a home visit for assessment interviews
- talking with you, your partner, children and other adult household members and nominated referees if required
- getting information about your health.
More information
More information about being assessed to adopt a child in Queensland is available from Adoption Services Queensland. You might also like to attend an adoption information session.
