How long did it take before Australia (?) went from being the worst to the best in ....?

Question

adoption reform? How did they go about it? What happened that made them realize they were doing it all wrong? Are there any other countries that put the child's welfare first? Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

Cochise is flat wrong.  The United States has an adoption industry that will put money before the child's or either sets of parents' best interests.  Australia doesn't allow private adoptions.  There is no pre-birth matching.  Adopted citizens have the very same access rights as their non-adopted counterparts -- no more and NO LESS.  Natural parents are given time to decide AFTER the birth if they wish to place their children for adoption.  

So, yes, Australia was engaging in some very nasty practices regarding the Aboriginal peoples, but the country also managed to clean up its act in ways far beyond the United States.

Answer 2

Not to be disagreeable, but your last question intimates that Australia may be about the only country that puts the welfare of the child first. That is flat wrong. I deal with many countries and assure you that with the possible exception of Guatemala, that every other country has the welfare of the child as its paramount interest and motivation for allowing domestic and international adoptions. Please be more careful before making a blanket and totally erroneous statement.

What is the "best interest of the child" is of course a subject of ongoing fierce debate.

Oz entered into a willingness to reform its adoption practices when it became shameful public knowledge that the government policy in effect was stealing, and dispossessing, the aboriginal children. Reforming this horrendous practice opened the doors to reforming the entire system.

Answer 3

Heres a pretty cool timeline, alot of the australian reform came from the mothers of "origins" the mothers advocacy group in Australia...here is their timeline:

http://www.angelfire.com/or/originsnsw/o...

and here is their homebase: http://www.angelfire.com/or/originsnsw/

If you scroll down to the bottom of that last link on their "homebase" there is an adoption timeline history for australia.

I also disagree with Cochise the United States hasn't even enacted the UN Convention to the Rights of the Child.

Yes there are other countries that put the child welfare first, Sweden especially. I have the list here somewhere.... i'll edit and add to it once I find it...if i find it lmao.

And I don't consider them the "best" they are just alot better than the US.

Answer 4

I am not sure but interesting question though.  :)

Answer 5

Gershom has already jumped in with the links I was going to add.

'The Stolen Generation' was part of Australia's dark adoption history (the taking of Aboriginal children from their families and placed in orphanages or adopted out) - but 'The Baby Scoop Era' was also a very real and tragic time - from the 50's, 60's and 70's - where tens of thousands of children were taken from their mothers for adoption - mostly because of the stigma of 'un-wed' pregnancy..

And it was NOT only Australia that has this era - as America was most definately on the same page.

In the 'Baby Scoop Era' - many mothers were shamed, sent to another state, placed in unwed mother's homes, drugged, coerced, had pillows placed over their faces (so they weren't able to see their baby) and told that they couldn't see their baby until they signed the relinquishment papers. (always being told that it was in everyone's best interests for mother and child to be separated - even though research was already around about this being false)

The changes came about because some wonderful first-mothers took the NSW government to court over past practices - and eventually received an apology. It was a long hard battle - with many roadblocks at each turn - but eventually they did what so many said they could never do.

From there - legislation across the country changed - records were opened up - secrets and lies became a practice of the past - and all adoptions were only handled through government departments - with guidelines of family preservation above relinquishment - and no one could profit from adoption practices.

Now - Australia has under 500 adoptions per year - compared to over 130,00 per year in the USA - and Australia only partakes in Inter-Country adoption when that countries adoption practices are all above board and following UN guidelines.

THIS is about the best interests of the child - where FIRST choice should always be - staying with the bio mother and/or family - if at all possible.