Teenage Mums:

Adoption and Foster Care

By: Melissa McGregor

Adoption and Foster Care are both options you have when you find out you are pregnant.

Adoption

What exactly does adoption mean? It means that your baby is placed with adoptive parents for the rest of its life. All your rights and responsibilities for the baby are legally removed and are given to the adoptive parents. It is a permanent arrangement.

Some issues to think about when considering adoption include:

• What support you have from family friends and the father of the baby
• What you want for your baby (eg. the kind of life you would like your baby to have)
• Your financial and emotional position
• Your relationship status (are you with the father of the baby or will you be a single parent?)
• Is the pregnancy a result of rape of sexual abuse?

It is also a good idea to talk to your local doctor, family planning centre or adoption agency to find out more information. Also talk to the father of the baby (even if you are not a couple) to find out what he wants. You do need to have the father's consent when placing your baby up for adoption.

The adoption process can be fairly lengthy. Once you have decided that this is the best option for you, you will first need to have some counselling (it is a requirement when placing your child up for adoption). During this you will discuss why you have chosen this option, how you feel about it etc. After you have had counselling and signed the consent for adoption you have a 25 day "cooling off" period. During this 25 days you have the opportunity to cancel the consent if you have changed your mind. Your child will be transferred to the chief executive of the department for families and communities during the 25 days.

After the 25 days if you are still choosing to go through with the adoption you will have the opportunity to express your views and preferences on what type of family you would like your baby to be placed in. For example, you may want you baby to be in a family that has a certain type of religion or a family that lives in either the country or city. Or a family that already has children or no children at all. You may choose a name for your baby, but the adoptive parents will have the right to change it. The adoptive family is chosen by a social worker and the manager of the adoption service that you go through. All your wishes will be taken into consideration when they are choosing the family.

Once the adoptive family is chosen, you may have the opportunity to meet them, but you will all need to agree to this. Your child will then be placed with the family.

As mentioned earlier, the process is quite lengthy and may take a few months, so you need to be willing to go through this. Adoption isn't the right option for everyone, but in the end the decision is up to you and the father so you need to do what is best for you. Below is a list of websites if you would like more information about adoption.

• New South Wales
  www.community.nsw.gov.au/DOCS/STANDARD/DC_101070.htm
  
  
• Queensland
  www.childsafety.qld.gov.au/adoption
  
  
• Victoria
  www.office-for-children.vic.gov.au
  
  
• Tasmania
  www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/adoption
  
  
• Western Australia
  www.community.wa.gov.au/DCP/resources/adoption
  
  
• Northern Territory
  www.nt.gov.au/health/comm_svs/facs/adoption.shtml
  
  
• South Australia
  www.adoptions.sa.gov.au

Foster Care

Foster care is also another option to think about when you are pregnant. It is a temporary arrangement where a foster carer looks after your baby (or child of any age) for a period of time. It may only be for a few days, but then may also be for years. You will still have contact with your baby while they are in foster care.

This may be a good option for you if you want to keep you baby but perhaps have a problem with drugs and alcohol, no family support, or for some other reason you are unable to provide adequate care and a safe and stable environment for your baby.
Foster care differs from state to state in Australia.

The Australian Foster Care Association website has links to all of the different foster care organisations in each state.

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