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Annual adoption data

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.

Parent decision following counselling, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Placed for adoption12861317
Not placed for adoption4342322119
Total5550383436

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.

Number of families registered to adopt a child, by year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212020-19
Local adoption only1612282931
Local or intercountry adoption710141514
Total2322424445

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.

Number of placements from local and overseas adoptions, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Local adoption12861317
Total overseas adoption22063
Total placed141061920

The placement of children from Victoria

Age of children when placed, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Less than 1 year of age7751217
Between 1 and 3 years old51110
Between 3 and 5 years old00000
More than 5 years of age00000

Number of Aboriginal children placed, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Aboriginal children placed with an Aboriginal family00000
Aboriginal children placed with a non-Aboriginal family00000
Total number of Aboriginal children placed00000

Number of children with at least one natural parent born overseas, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Parent/parents born in Australia754813
Children with at least one natural parent born overseas, but child permanent resident21022
Children with at least one natural parent born overseas, and child not permanent resident32232
Total12861317

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.

Number of placements of children from overseas, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Hong Kong01001
Thailand10000
Total - adoption orders made in Victoria11001
Colombia00010
South Korea11021
Taiwan00031
Total - adoption orders made in country11062
Total22063

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.

Number of adoption orders made in Victoria, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Stepparent adoption20002
Victorian relative10011
Local adoptions111681414
Adoption orders made in Victoria (Thailand, Hong Kong)11011
Overseas relative adoption orders made in Victoria01000
Total adoptions151781618

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

Number of adoption orders made in an overseas court, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Children adopted through the Colombia, South Korea or Taiwan programs and adopted in country11023
Overseas relative adoption orders made overseas00001
Total adoptions11024

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.

Number of local adoptions by year the court order was made, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Arranged by government1112286
Arranged by an adoption agency04668
Total111681414

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.

Number of adoptions by natural parent consent and financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Consent from mother only712488
Both consents dispensed with or not required10000
Subtotal where father did not provide consent812488
Consent from father only00000
Consent from both parents34466
Total111681414

Number of adoptions where natural father did not provide consent, by financial year
Reason that consent could not be provided2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Father not known710478
Father could not be found11000
Father who was not on the birth certificate, did not respond to letter00000
The court dispensed with father's consent01010
Other00000
Total812488

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.
Number of adoption orders that include family contact provisions, by financial year
Type of contact2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Contact only00000
Information exchange only23210
Contact and information exchange81051213
No contact or information exchange13111

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.

Number of adoptions discharged, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Discharge of adoption115653

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.

Number of applications for adoption information through Country and Supreme Courts, by financial year
2023-242022-232021-222020-212019-20
Adoption information34763

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.

Number of people who have received adoption information, by financial year
2024-232022-232021-222020-212019-20
Adopted people305253244226229
Natural mothers7860192530
Natural fathers34323
Adoptive parents33217
Children of adoptees5944756141
Natural relatives5433403637
Organisation8369000
Other00000
Total585466383351347

Updated