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  Adoption: the long journey home Transcript HELEN DALLEY: These families, celebrating their multicultural make-up, count themselves the fortunate ones. Blessed, they say, to be among the precious few Australian couples who successfully navigate the arduous, frustrating, emotionally debilitating journey to start their family, not by normal means but by overseas adoption. TRUDI BARNETT: It's like a flower. It's just - all this potential's just locked away and then you take the child, nurture the child, love the child, the child feels more secure and opens up and everything starts to blossom and just come to life. It's just the most amazing feeling. HELEN DALLEY: Despite often intense grief after years spent fruitlessly trying to conceive naturally, or through fertility treatments, many couples grab their last chance to become a family through inter-country adoption from needy nations like China, India, Columbia, Korea, Ethiopia. WILLIAM HAWKINS: When you adopt a child from somewhere like Ethiopia, you're not only Australian but you become part Ethiopian as well. You have this connection with the people, with that country, with the families that those children have come from. KERYN HOLMES: People actually say to us that Kye's very lucky. We say, "No, we're very lucky." I often say we couldn't have made a better baby ourselves, you know. He didn't come from us, he came for us. HELEN DALLEY: Over the past three decades, as adoption of healthy Australian babies has reduced to a trickle, there's been a massive increase in the numbers of abandoned, orphaned or homeless children in impoverished parts of the world. Inter-country adoption aims to match those needy children with couples in developed nations who desperately want a family. AILEEN BERRY: Well, the child needs a family, stop, end of story. It needs a loving family, a proper family. I mean, the goal in this process is, as you are told regularly throughout, this actually isn't about your needs, it's about a child's needs. If that child's needs happen to marry up with yours, then, you know, yippee, off we go. HELEN DALLEY: It's estimated up to 40,000 children are adopted throughout the world each year. Yet only 278 were adopted from a limited number of countries into Australia last year. According to many in the adoption community, a lack of political will by Federal and state governments to make overseas adoption work better is to blame for those small numbers of children coming into Australia. RICKY BRISSON, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN: My concern is that there's thousands of children waiting for families and our Government is lacking any initiative to assist bringing those children here. We spend millions of dollars on foreign aid, we spend millions of dollars on disaster relief, we spend millions of dollars on a range of other international activities, yet bringing another 300 children to Australia, another 500 children to Australia seems to be a major problem. HELEN DALLEY: Many adoptive parents claim the trials and tribulations forced on them by government bureaucracies shows there's one standard for biological parents but quite another when it comes to adoptive couples. At a time when the Government is calling on Australians to populate, even paying women to have babies, those trying to adopt feel they're left out of the picture. AILEEN BERRY: We get no government relief. I mean, I could have stayed on IVF until I was 50 and would have ended up - the government would have basically paid for most of it through Medibank but I get absolutely no recognition of my adding to the Australian population. You certainly qualify for certain family tax benefits but you know the $3000 baby bonus, not available to people who adopt children over six months. Well, almost every child that comes from China is 12 months or thereabouts. HELEN DALLEY: So do you think there's an unfairness there in the way adoptive families are treated? AILEEN BERRY: I think there's a failure to just treat us like everybody else. We are not so bizarre, we are a small but growing group and I think we should be taken seriously as people. HELEN DALLEY: Most couples who commit to the lengthy process of inter-country adoption agree that prospective parents should be thoroughly scrutinised but, they say, the financial, legal and bureaucratic hurdles put in their way make the whole process arbitrary, unfair and discriminatory, something biological parents never have to face. TRUDI BARNETT: This person is determining the dynamic of our family, he's taken away our rights to say how we want to be. You know, everyone has the right to say I want one child or two children, I've had three children I'll stop here. We don't actually have that. We have to toe the line with what the Government says about our age and our ability. Fine, I'm happy to be, you know, tested on that front because that I do think's important. But I'm not happy to be told: "This is a rule, you don't meet the rule, take a hike." HELEN DALLEY: As a signatory to The Hague convention in 1998, aimed at protecting adopted children and stamping out baby trafficking, the Australian Federal Government has overall responsibility in this country. But it is each state government, through their Community Services Departments, that manage the process. RICKY BRISSON: We have seven states with seven different sets of rules and legislations. So that's a problem to start off with. The criteria for applying to adopt in NSW is different to the criteria in Queensland and is different to the criteria in Victoria. So there are different rules, there's different set of fees, there's a different process. It's totally different in each state. HELEN DALLEY: While demand far exceeds supply, the process is frustratingly slow. In some states, would-be parents like Darryl and Keryn Holmes languish for years on inter-country wait lists. Strict age limits set by some Australian states and adoptive countries mean many couples become simply too old to adopt. That was the double-edged sword facing the Holmes who claim they've suffered at the hands of the Queensland Government. KERYN HOLMES: Just their lack of interest, it seems, in really wanting you to get your child, wanting it to all fall into place, you know. It just doesn't, it doesn't fall into place, it doesn't work like that at all with them, it's just all over the place. HELEN DALLEY: The Holmes lodged their application to adopt after 10 years trying to conceive a longed-for baby, followed by three failed IVF attempts. They never dreamed it would take almost four years to adopt their first child from Korea. KERYN HOLMES: Every part of it's very emotional. Like again the wait, you know, the waiting all the time for - you put your application in you think something's going to happen straight away and it doesn't happen for months and months and you keep ringing them. DARRYL HOLMES: But when you put your application in first they tell you it'll take about two years. You think, "Wow, it's going to take two years." KERYN HOLMES: Okay, we'll be ready then, we said. We'll be really ready. DARRYL HOLMES: Two years goes pretty quick, you know. But then when two years is up and it turns into three and then three years and nine months, you think, 'What's going on here?' HELEN DALLEY: Keryn and Darryl are not alone in their experience of Queensland bureaucratic hurdles. STEPHEN FINKEL, PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN KOREAN FRIENDSHIP GROUP: I get to speak to people every other day with concerns about how long it's taking, the problems that they're having with just basic paperwork being muddled up, paperwork being lost. So basically they're under-resourced, they don't have the staff levels they really need to complete the job quickly but it seems to be there's a lack of training and a high staff turnover, which obviously doesn't help processing. HELEN DALLEY: Stephen Finkel and his wife, Debbie, adopted two children from Korea and had twins of their own. Stephen now heads up a Korean support group helping other couples wind their way through Queensland red tape and the intensive assessment process. STEPHEN FINKEL: A couple who were basically had met as school heart - childhood sweethearts, went off and got married and then tried to form a family; the family didn't happen, they went an adoption. On their second adoption they got the opinion that one of the partners may have had a - may have not had had heterosexual tendencies and they wanted to explore that because both of them had never had other partners in their lives and they gave them an incredibly hard time. HELEN DALLEY: So just a minute, let me get this straight. The Department felt that because they may not have had other partners in their lives they could have been homosexual? STEPHEN FINKEL: One of them could have been homosexual and they wanted to explore that further. HELEN DALLEY: Based on no other evidence other than that they'd had no other partners? STEPHEN FINKEL: That's exactly right. HELEN DALLEY: Are you serious? STEPHEN FINKEL: No, that's seriously what happens. HELEN DALLEY: The same sentiments are echoed in other states. For David and Cathie Pirani it took over three years to adopt baby Alexandra from Columbia. While the Pirani's praise some of the staff, they feel the NSW Department of Community Services assessment of them turned into an almost farcical inquisition. CATHIE PIRANI: At that time we were involved in a Celtic cultural group, like a re-enactment group. We used to celebrate, like, Yule, which everybody celebrates up here in the mountains, and we were called into the office to explain what in fact our beliefs were in this regard because they'd looked up on the Internet and seen that the ancient Celts used to sacrifice humans and they were worried we were going to adopt a baby just for the purpose of human sacrifice. HELEN DALLEY: Are they you serious? CATHIE PIRANI: Yeah. HELEN DALLEY: They suggested this to you? CATHIE PIRANI: They were very concerned about it and we had to explain to them not only were we vegetarians, we don't even eat meat, let alone sacrificing chickens or humans or anything like that. It was just ridiculous. It took us a while to even think of an answer because we were so dumbfounded by the question. HELEN DALLEY: But that wasn't all. Cathie says they almost missed out on adopting because she admitted getting migraines some years earlier. CATHIE PIRANI: They called that into question and said that it therefore put our whole medical information that our doctor had filled out, it put all of that into doubt because he hadn't filled out I had a neurological disorder. And I wasn't aware at the time that migraines caused by hormone and eyesight problems were a neurological disorder. MARY GRIFFIN, DIRECTOR OF ADOPTION AND PERMANENT CARE, DOCS NSW: It is a rigorous process and we don't apologies for that because it's important to protect children - but absolutely we would want to support them, you know, through that process. HELEN DALLEY: The final hurdle for the Pirani's was their weight. CATHIE PIRANI: We were both too fat, yeah. HELEN DALLEY: You were told you were both too fat? CATHIE PIRANI: Yes. MARY GRIFFIN: You need to be healthy and to be able to look after a child. And there's, you know, a range of medical issues that would be a concern and all those are dealt with as, you know, as sensitively as they can be. HELEN DALLEY: Is weight one of those issues? MARY GRIFFIN: Weight generally is a health issue. As you know as well as a whole range of other medical issues. HELEN DALLEY: So you do take that into account? MARY GRIFFIN: Yes, we do. DAVID PIRANI: I - yeah, I was quite offended with that and I took issue with it, but at the end of the day we still had to do what they said. So we went ahead and did the tests. I came through with flying colours and we were allowed to proceed. HELEN DALLEY: After waiting almost four years for baby Kye, Darryl and Keryn Holmes hit another brick wall, courtesy of the Queensland bureaucracy which forced them to make a life-changing decision. Sell up and move interstate lock, stock and barrel. DARRYL HOLMES: Two years ago they didn't have enough people to staff - to assess all the people waiting. So they shut that section down. No-one could reapply for two years. It's coming up to three years and still it's not going to be open. HELEN DALLEY: To the Holmes's dismay, when Queensland closed its inter-country adoption list, to try and clear a backlog of applications, it effectively ended their dreams of continuing their family. While supposed to be a short-term closure, now over two years later, Darryl will be too old to adopt a sibling for Kye by the time the list eventually reopens, due to Korea's strict age limit of 45. DARRYL HOLMES: At the moment there's about 400 people ready to reapply as soon as they open that register. They assess something like 100 couples a year. So there's no chance that Keryn and I are going to be able to get a child from Korea again because I'm 45 next February. KERYN HOLMES: It should never have been closed. It's like a Government department closing down for two-and-a-half years. It's like, who does that? DARRYL HOLMES: They're the hierarchy. They're running the show, here, the adoption show, but they can't do it. HELEN DALLEY: So they put up the closed sign? DARRYL HOLMES: Yeah, put up the closed sign, too bad for everybody else. RICKY BRISSON: I call it abuse of power because as far as I'm concerned, on both a state and federal level, either there's no will or there's no interest whatsoever in the program, and this is just an easy way out; just close the doors. HELEN DALLEY: And in a stunning admission of defeat, Queensland adoption authorities have willing opened the exit door, ushering couples out of the state. ROBIN SULLIVAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL, QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY: And I think I've also expressed a view that having a sibling is a positive thing and I am aware that the Department in some circumstances, without talking about individual cases, has been quite supportive of moving information and, if you like, legislative requirements to another state to enable families to access alternative arrangements. HELEN DALLEY: Moving interstate was the only option Keryn and Darryl felt they had. While Queensland would make no exception for them, they're moving to Darwin, where the South Australian authorities will expedite their application for a second child before Darryl hits Korea's age limit. But how do you feel about moving from your home, this was your dream home, this was your dream home, was it? DARRYL HOLMES: It was, it was our last home. Damn them for making us do this, but we had no other option. If we let this window of opportunity close, well then we won't be able to get another one. HELEN DALLEY: It upsets you Keryn, doesn't it? KERYN HOLMES: I think the reality's set in just a bit. HELEN DALLEY: But do you feel it's unfair that the Queensland Government ... KERYN HOLMES: It is. It's totally unfair. HELEN DALLEY: Do you feel they forced you? KERYN HOLMES: Yeah. DARRYL HOLMES: Well, we trust in the Government departments, don't we, that they can run something correctly. We trust them. To put something in position, set up an infrastructure, but it's failed and it's failed people like us and it's going to fail so many more. HELEN DALLEY: South Australia has a reputation for speedier adoptions than other states. One reason is because the South Australian and Northern Territory Governments have basically outsourced adoption to this non-government agency. Unlike State welfare departments, which have a number of jobs, this agency is devoted solely to adoption services and it's had the same staff for many years. SUSAN PRIEST, AUSTRALIANS AIDING CHILDREN ADOPTION AGENCY: You know the agencies overseas, we know the work required, we probably have an ability to respond to our clients in a more personal way than often you do in the public service where you have a lot of changing staff that have to review and look again at learning about programs. People are getting answers fairly quickly from us because we know the people we're work with. HELEN DALLEY: But a major problem in South Australia is its strict age limit which is hurting little Polly Barnett's family. As four-year-old Polly practices singing in her adopted language, she's blissfully unaware that a bureaucratic rule stops her from having a sibling from her home land. Trudi and Keith Barnett frenetically lobbied the South Australian Government to lift the age restriction from 40 to 45 years. They succeeded, and so were able to adopt Polly from China last year. Now they want to adopt another. The problem is, the age limit for a second child is also 45 years, but as Keith is 47, they are considered too old to adopt a baby sister. TRUDI BARNETT: It's really not fair and they are not testing us on our ability. Test us and allow us to be parents if you think we're good enough. Don't say, "Mmm, 45, far too old," because that's wrong. KEITH BARNETT: I feel frustrated because of it, because there's nothing I can do about it as far as my age goes. Yeah, mainly frustrated that they don't understand that - and why shouldn't it be on your ability rather than your age. HELEN DALLEY: Like many couples, Trudi and Keith came to adoption late in life after years of failed IVF attempts, a miscarriage and a stillborn daughter. But they're prepared to fight again, to become adoptive parents for the second time. TRUDI BARNETT: We're going through a horrendous time now knowing that Polly would benefit so much from having a sibling - you only have to go to China and walk into an orphanage and, you know, you go, "Oh gosh we've got so much capacity to give to these children." So all these things that we fight for, it's really worth it and fighting for a baby, if you like, calling IVF a fight for a baby, which it was, because it was hard to keep going back and after losing a baby and holding a dead baby and you think, "I'll never do it again," but you know, I wanted to be a mother so much. HELEN DALLEY: Trudi believes her daughter needs a sibling, particularly as they live in a rural community with few Asian faces. TRUDI BARNETT: She says to everyone, "I want a baby sister," she doesn't understand why she can't have one. How can I explain to a four-year-old that it's a government regulation that she can't and because her father's too old? HELEN DALLEY: The Barnett's say the worst part is they could move across the border into Victoria and they'd have no problem. TRUDI BARNETT: We live on a farm that's been in the family for five generations, it's not something we currently want to give up or move away from. However, we would do it if we really thought it was in Polly's best interests. But also if we uproot Polly now, just to adopt when she's only just settled into our family over the last 18 months, the core issue for this child is stability. It's not what we want to do; it's not in her best interests to take her away from the farm she loves. HELEN DALLEY: But so far they've hit a brick wall with the South Australian Minister for Families, Jay Weatheril. In a letter justifying his hardline stance, his explanation was typical polly-waffle. He wrote: "The age criteria specifically takes into account matters such as population data about parenting capacities. This includes the fact of increasing health risks in adults as linked to age." TRUDI BARNETT: All of us would put our children before anything. We'd lay down in front of, you know, lions for them, wouldn't we? And so when we put ourselves up for adoption, when we want children, we're actually laying ourselves on the line and open to everything and we will jump anything for that. But my feeling on that is that I've done all that and now we've hit a road block that's not fair. HELEN DALLEY: But Trudi and Keith now have an unusual ally. Queensland's new minister responsible for adoption, Mike Reynolds, whose own state has an age cap, recently had a change of heart on age limits, which now puts him at odds with his South Australian counterpart. MIKE REYNOLDS, QUEENSLAND MINISTER FOR CHILD SAFETY: In society generally, people are starting families later than they did in the 1960s, yet people wishing to create families through adoption are not given the same opportunities to delay parenthood. That's inequitable and it must change. In fact there is a lack of evidence linking adoption outcomes to any particular age range. HELEN DALLEY: In part two of our story after the break, we'll meet another couple who've also laid everything on the line, left their life, family and security in Australia to adopt a baby from Cambodia. But in their desperation to be parents, they've taken the risk of bypassing Australian welfare authorities to make their family whole. Part 2 HELEN DALLEY: To understand the lengths some couples will go to to create their longed-for family, Sunday travelled to the heart of South-East Asia. In Malaysia's modern metropolis, Kuala Lumpur, where the booming economy's gleaming skyscrapers sit side-by-side with more traditional Malaysian life, we witnessed one Australian couple's complex journey to bring their adopted baby home. JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: It's been difficult and tiring, but just really well worth it, worth every minute we've had to spend. Because of this, because of our son, that's why we've done this and basically we'll do anything for him. HELEN DALLEY: For Jeanette Popa-Smith, Malaysia is a long way from country Victoria where she and Romanian born husband Robert were living when they heard through family connections that a baby boy in Cambodia was about to be abandoned by his mother. JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: She couldn't afford to look after him and she had two teenage children already and working for $30 a month and so we said, "Please don't put him in the orphanage and we will research and find out what we can to see if we can adopt this baby." And which is what we did, and we found out all the information we could from Australian immigration and travelled a few weeks later, a couple of weeks later we travelled to Cambodia. HELEN DALLEY: Normally Australia only allows adoptions through official government to government programs and it's generally illegal to adopt without going through a state welfare department. With no such official adoption program with Cambodia, it's nigh on impossible for Australian couples to adopt from there, unless they reside in Cambodia for a year. And as this British television story revealed recently, Cambodia also has a dirty reputation for baby trafficking. ITN REPORTER: This woman wants to sell her baby girl. The chances are her daughter will be bought by a local scout and end up in one of the orphanages that provide children for lucrative adoptions in the West. HELEN DALLEY: Jeanette and Robert claim their son, Andre, was legitimately relinquished and his birth mother was neither coerced nor paid. JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: All the fees we paid were to the lawyer and that covered the court costs and everything. We provided some food and things like that for the mother, some clothing and yeah, just basically help her out while we were there. HELEN DALLEY: What were you told in Australia about adopting this way overseas? JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: Yes, I rang International Adoption and ... HELEN DALLEY: In Melbourne? JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: Yes, in Melbourne and they told us that this is not a legal way to adopt. HELEN DALLEY: So they said it was illegal, definitely? JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: Yes, this way is illegal, that's what they told me and then I called Immigration to double check with them and said that International Adoption said this was illegal and they said no, it's not illegal. HELEN DALLEY: Jeanette and Robert believe they found a loophole they can legally exploit. JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: I'm not allowed to adopt, but Robert is allowed because he's still under Romanian law, he is not an Australian permanent resident and as far as Romanian laws are concerned, he is allowed to adopt this child and also for Australian immigration, he is allowed to add a dependent child to his visa before he becomes a permanent resident. HELEN DALLEY: So on that seemingly flimsy basis with no legal advice, Jeanette and Robert left their jobs, family and home in Victoria to adopt Andre from Cambodia. The couple are now in limbo in Malaysia for up to six to eight months while the Australian High Commission verifies their adoption is genuine before their new son is issued a visa to come to Australia. ROBERT POPA-SMITH: It was a shock for us because he's - Australian High Commission doesn't know exactly the time for my son visa to take him to Australia. Nobody else can tell us. So we only wait, wait, wait, wait. JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: My parents took out an extra loan on their housing loan to help us at the start, took out $10,000 loan to help us with everything. So that's really our support. HELEN DALLEY: Jeanette, have you ever thought twice about just upping and leaving everything you had in Australia and a very comfortable life? JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: No, no, we've had hard a hard time trying to have babies of our own and I've had one stillbirth last year, baby girl, and so I've had two miscarriages. But we don't want to take the risk that we will lose another baby because it's just too painful and upsetting for us. We don't want another baby to die. HELEN DALLEY: As they continue to wait, hoping that all-important visa will come through to bring their son home, Jeanette and Robert know they've taken the biggest gamble of their lives. There is still no guarantee that Australian authorities will let him come into Australia, nor that they'll recognise this adoption. But the couple say it's worth it. JEANETTE POPA-SMITH: We're just really happy that we took this chance that a lot of people might have been afraid to take this kind of chance, but I suppose we're different, we're willing to take the gamble and we're happy that we did that. HELEN DALLEY: While Cambodia might be quick to adopt its children to other countries, in Malaysia, adoption to foreigners is actively discouraged. You must live in Malaysia with the child for two years before an adoption can be arranged. While neighbouring countries like Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia adopt out their unwanted children overseas, here in Malaysia, couples actually queue up to adopt their locally born babies. In a promising sign for this whole region, where baby trafficking, street kids and child prostitution are often a reality, Malaysia is one country, at least, that appears to be coming to grips with looking after its own. But of all Asian countries, China has a far bigger problem, with many thousands of children literally abandoned, particularly in rural areas. Principally as a result of China's hardline one-child policy. As boys are more desired, girls are often abandoned. While some die, many end up in orphanages. And while Australian adoption authorities happily accommodate China's needs in this area, they believe inter-country adoption is a deeply complex and sensitive issue. MARY GRIFFIN: Making an inter-country adoption decision for a child is probably a most profound decision that anybody will ever make for a child. You're removing them from their family forever and also you're removing them from their country forever. So we need to make sure that the standards for that, the policies, you know, that hold up those standards have absolutely covered everything. AILEEN BERRY: Ultimately the goal should be that those children are not left, that those children are absorbed into their own culture, into their own community. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if Ella wasn't in it, but I do believe that in the long term China wants to and needs to care for all its citizens within a healthy economy. HELEN DALLEY: When Polly came into Trudi and Keith Barnett's life, she had spent her entire three years in an orphanage. They believe she was well cared for, but with one fundamental exception. TRUDI BARNETT: She probably wasn't kissed. We have asked her that, she wasn't kissed. So try and imagine if you have a child, it's basically put your head around the idea that you've got a three-year-old and she's never been kissed or cuddled. But it's not because they can't, or that they don't want to, it's because they can't, they haven't got enough carers, they can't look after these children and they haven't got enough money either. HELEN DALLEY: Polly has since flourished with her adoptive family. Ella was adopted from China as a baby. After years trying IVF, Aileen Berry felt fortunate, as a single woman in her mid 40s to be finally to be able to be a mother to Ella. When Aileen travelled to China to collect Ella, it was a life-changing moment. AILEEN BERRY: When I brought Ella home, I felt the most profound sadness for her birth mother, for her birth family in whatever their circumstances were in losing this amazingly wonderful child. I would give probably a year of my life to tell her birth mother that she's fine and that she's doing really, really well and she's been to London and Sydney, and she's been all over the place. And you know, I want - I'd just love them to know she's loved. HELEN DALLEY: While kids like Ella will never know their birth mother, this brother and sister, Korean-born Anna and Paul Anderson, did meet up with their birth mother. Twenty-two years ago, she had them adopted out to an Australian couple and they came to live in country NSW. ANNA ANDERSON: My family life was great. Yeah, mum and dad have always been very interested and proactive in knowing about, sort of, adoption, sort of, issues so if anything ever arose you know, they'd be wanting to sit down and talk about it and we're very open about the fact that we were adopted. HELEN DALLEY: Then two decades later ... ANNA ANDERSON: Our birth mother got in contact with us out of the blue. ANNA ANDERSON'S BIRTH MOTHER [READ]: "To my son and daughter whom I love so dearly, I cannot get you out of my mind, even in my dreams. I will forever feel guilty and think of you often in search for forgiveness." ANNA ANDERSON: And we wrote her a letter saying look, we're not at all bitter about, you know, what you've done. We've had a great life and we're really happy to have had contact with you. We definitely didn't feel very emotional at that time because, you know, they're complete strangers they're just - they're family, but they're strangers at the same time. HELEN DALLEY: Nonetheless, Anna and Paul went back to Korea for a family reunion. ANNA ANDERSON: We really actually did feel lucky because we had two families. And since meeting them, we exchanged letters, we wrote a thank you letter and, you know, but I think for them, you know, they feel satisfied with knowing that we're happy and well. HELEN DALLEY: By the looks on their faces, these children, too, seem happy living with their adoptive families in Australia. It seems some state governments may be finally recognising the benefit children from overseas bring to Australian families. After years of public complaints, Queensland has had a sudden change of heart, dropping its age limit and reopening the wait list - but only for eight weeks. STEPHEN FINKEL: The Department couldn't - were struggling to handle the number of files they were processing currently, once they have this deluge of people the whole system is just going to grind to a halt again. HELEN DALLEY: And hot on the heels of an unpopular fee rise, NSW, too, has vowed to sharpen its act by fast-tracking applications. MARY GRIFFIN: We were aiming to process an application for a family for from when they lodge an application till when their application is approved - about a nine-month time frame. HELEN DALLEY: Those who persevere with inter-country adoption and rise above its myriad pitfalls, say there is ample reward. AILEEN BERRY: I'd like to think Ella can bridge the cultures in some way, if she ever was able to work in China, I would love it. I would love it if the educational opportunities she'll get here will somehow be able to pay back the unbelievable privilege that I've been given in being given this little person. Click here for a printer-friendly version. |
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