Adoption and permanent care
Children are our most precious asset. There is no more serious commitment in life than raising and nurturing children; to share their joys and sorrows, to honour their love, to pass on your experience to a new generation. These aren't just the privileges of parenthood; they are duties and obligations.
Sometimes, for many different reasons, children need to be raised by a family other than the one they were born into. This enables them to benefit from the commitment of parenthood.
Adoption is not the only way of bringing a child into your family. Permanent care is another. Both options provide children with the care and love they need to grow and prosper.
Adopting a child in Victoria
Adoption in Victoria is the legal process by which a child becomes a member of a new family.
- Learn more about Adoption in Victoria
- Register your interest in an information session
Permanent care and becoming a parent
Children placed in permanent care come through child protection services. Unlike adoption, it is not a voluntary placement. The Department of Human Services makes decisions about the safety of children and whether children will be placed with a permanent care family.
- Become a permanent care parent
- Register your interest in an information session
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Download your copy of the Adoption and Permanent Care Newsletter - it introduces you to staff, contains stories from parents and staff, and provides guides and tips on child development. There are three interrelated interviews to share with you in this edition. They are the personal journeys shared with us by Margaret, a mother who relinquished her child for adoption, Doug and Heather who adopted her child, and Kate, one of the Adoption Permanent Care workers involved in the introduction of the families to each other. |
Adopting a child from overseas
In Victoria the Intercountry Adoption Service is responsible for the management of the Intercountry Adoption Program.
- Learn more about the Intercountry Adoption Service
- Adoption and permanent care - frequently asked questions
People interested in adoption or permanent care often have questions. Here are some questions which are most commonly asked.
- Adoption and permanent care program
The purpose of the program is to provide a safe, stable and loving environment for children unable to grow up with their birth families; whether you adopt or permanently care for a child, the decisions you're about to make are important, and life changing.
- Register for an Information Session - Adoption and Permanent Care
Use this form for adoption and permanent care enquiries. Submitted details will be forwarded to an officer from the appropriate region who can assist with registration for an information session or other enquiries.
- Adoption and Permanent Care Services - contact list
A directory of Adoption and Permanent Care Teams and their contact details in the state of Victoria.
