Data update for July 2024
This page provides a snapshot of some of our annual data, including:
- counselling provided to parents considering placing a child for adoption
- families who are included on the Register of People Approved to Adopt
- children placed for adoption
- adoption orders made
- other adoption related Court Orders
- people who received adoption information.
Counselling provided to parents considering placing a child for adoption
Parents who are considering placing a child for adoption are provided with counselling. Some continue onto placing a child for adoption, but some do not.
Learn more about considering adoption for a child.
The below table shows the parents decision after counselling has been provided.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placed for adoption | 12 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 17 |
| Not placed for adoption | 43 | 42 | 32 | 21 | 19 |
| Total | 55 | 50 | 38 | 34 | 36 |
Families who are included on the Register of People Approved to Adopt
Children placed for adoption are matched to families who have been approved and entered into the Register of People Approved to Adopt.
Learn more about adopting a child.
The below table shows the number of families (both local and intercountry) who were on the Register of People Approved to Adopt on 30 June.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2020-19 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local adoption only | 16 | 12 | 28 | 29 | 31 |
| Local or intercountry adoption | 7 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
| Total | 23 | 22 | 42 | 44 | 45 |
Placements of children
Most children that are adopted will live with their adoptive parent/s for approximately a year before the adoption order is made. This is known as ‘placement’.
The exceptions are:
- when someone is adopted by a relative or stepparent, or
- if the adoption order is made by a court in another country.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local adoption | 12 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 17 |
| Total overseas adoption | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Total placed | 14 | 10 | 6 | 19 | 20 |
The placement of children from Victoria
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 year of age | 7 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 17 |
| Between 1 and 3 years old | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Between 3 and 5 years old | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| More than 5 years of age | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal children placed with an Aboriginal family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aboriginal children placed with a non-Aboriginal family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total number of Aboriginal children placed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent/parents born in Australia | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 13 |
| Children with at least one natural parent born overseas, but child permanent resident | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Children with at least one natural parent born overseas, and child not permanent resident | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 12 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 17 |
The placement of children from overseas
In the past 5 years, children from the following countries have been placed in Victoria:
- Hong Kong
- Thailand
- Colombia
- South Korea
- Taiwan.
Learn more about overseas country programs
When a child due to be adopted from Hong Kong or Thailand enters Australia, their adoption is yet to be finalised. When the child is from Colombia, South Korea or Taiwan, an adoption order has already been made in that country's court.
The table below shows the number of children that have entered Australia each year from each country.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Thailand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total - adoption orders made in Victoria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total - adoption orders made in country | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
Adoption orders made in Victoria by year
An adoption order can be made by the County Court or the Supreme Court.
To view the number of adoptions registered with Births Deaths and Marriages (BDM) each year, visit the BDM website(opens in a new window).
There are more registered adoptions than reflected in the table below as registered adoptions also include adult adoptions.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stepparent adoption | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Victorian relative | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Local adoptions | 11 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 14 |
| Adoption orders made in Victoria (Thailand, Hong Kong) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Overseas relative adoption orders made in Victoria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total adoptions | 15 | 17 | 8 | 16 | 18 |
Adoption orders arranged by Adoption Victoria made in an overseas court
In addition to the adoption orders made by Victorian courts, some adoption orders are made by the court in the country from which the child was adopted.
Find out more about the process of overseas adoption
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children adopted through the Colombia, South Korea or Taiwan programs and adopted in country | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Overseas relative adoption orders made overseas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total adoptions | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Local adoptions by year the court order was made
As of 1 October 2022, Victoria no longer has approved adoption agencies that can arrange adoptions independently from government. This makes Victoria consistent with most states and territories.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arranged by government | 11 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Arranged by an adoption agency | 0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Total | 11 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 14 |
Consent from natural parents
Children are placed for adoption when their natural parent provides free and informed consent. If a child needs a permanent safe and supportive family environment and has come through child protection services, this is called ‘permanent care’, not adoption.
Find out more about permanent care
Sometimes however, for different reasons, a parent cannot provide consent.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consent from mother only | 7 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Both consents dispensed with or not required | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Subtotal where father did not provide consent | 8 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Consent from father only | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consent from both parents | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Total | 11 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 14 |
| Reason that consent could not be provided | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Father not known | 7 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 8 |
| Father could not be found | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Father who was not on the birth certificate, did not respond to letter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The court dispensed with father's consent | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
Open adoption
When a court makes an adoption order, the order may include:
- information on what contact the child will have with their natural family, and
- a plan detailing how the child will about receive information from their natural family.
| Type of contact | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact only | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Information exchange only | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Contact and information exchange | 8 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 13 |
| No contact or information exchange | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Other court orders
Discharge of adoption
The County and Supreme Courts also hear other applications related to adoption. A person may apply to the County Court of Victoria to undo the legal effect of an adoption order. This is known as ‘discharge of adoption'.
Learn more about discharge of adoption.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discharge of adoption | 11 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Applications for adoption records
The Victorian Adoption Act 1984 provides eligible applicants the right to find information about an adoption that is connected to Victoria. Generally, people will be able to apply to adoption services for records.
Find out more about applying for adoption records.
If someone is not eligible to apply or they are not satisfied with the information provided, they may apply to the County and Supreme Courts to provide the information.
The number of people that have applied for adoption information through County and Supreme Courts is provided below.
| 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption information | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
People who received adoption information
Adopted people, natural parents and the children of adopted people are able to apply for information that identifies the adopted person and natural parents.
Find out more about who can apply for adoption records.
Other people such as adoptive parents, aunties, uncles, grandparents and siblings can apply for some information. This information is unlikely to identify any person not already known.
| 2024-23 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adopted people | 305 | 253 | 244 | 226 | 229 |
| Natural mothers | 78 | 60 | 19 | 25 | 30 |
| Natural fathers | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Adoptive parents | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Children of adoptees | 59 | 44 | 75 | 61 | 41 |
| Natural relatives | 54 | 33 | 40 | 36 | 37 |
| Organisation | 83 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 585 | 466 | 383 | 351 | 347 |
Updated