Adoption at the lowest rate - New figures released

Figures released by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report shows just 292 children were adopted in Australia last financial year, marking a 74 per cent decline since 1991. Social Services Minister Christian Porter is encouraging state and territory to change child protection culture to be child focused not birth family focused. There is a decline in foster care rates and retention. A change to the Paid Parental Leave (PPL) legislation to include Foster and Kinship parents would close the gap and work in conjunction with the changes being put forward for adoption and permanency of vulnerable children from the ‘Out of Home Care’ system. Giving working parents the opportunity to access this 18 weeks of paid leave from the Federal Government under the PPL scheme, will benefit those vulnerable children at the most important time of their development. The spirit of the PPL is to give parents an additional 18 week to bond and form attachments with their children. This is just as important, if not more so, in a Kinship or Foster placement. Working families should be a focused demographic to align vulnerable children coming into the 'Out of Home Care' system with the view to adoption. Once a child is adopted these families will then take on full financial responsibility. It will also support children remaining with one family, instead of multiple. PPL for Kinship and Foster parents and the financial support that provides would make foster care a more viable option for working individuals who are considering such a path. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-17/australian-adoption-rates-reach-new-low/7035198