20 August 2008
Intercountry adoptions
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It's been over thirty years since 281 Vietnamese orphans were airlifted to Australia from wartime Saigon. Since then, adoptions have been on the decline in Australia however the vast majority (7 out of 10) of those that DO take place are intercountry adoptions.
Intercountry adoptions can take tens of thousands of dollars and take up to eight years. Should they be so difficult? The Rudd government has set up the National Peak Overseas Adoption Support Group to provide advice to the government on this issue, and they are set to tackle the lack of consistency between the states.
Should Australia be assisting other countries to become signatories to the relevant Hague convention to enable prospective adoptive families more access to children?
Guests
Trudy Rosenwald - psychologist, adoption consultant
Joshua Forkert - historian, University of Adelaide.
Denise Cuthbert - professor of sociology at Monash University.
Deborra-Lee Furness - adoption activist
Adam Brisson - mentor and adoptee from Bolivia
Indigo Williams Willing - sociologist, adoptee/founder Adopted Vietnamese International
Further Information
Federal government peak body on intercountry adoption
Unleashed commentary by Deborra-Lee Furness
Australian Intercountry Adoption Network
Australians Caring for Children
Adopted Vietnamese International
Attachment and bonding centre of Ohio
Experts for attachment disorder
Relationships Australia post-adoption support services
Presenter
Paul Barclay
Story Researcher and Producer
Esther Haskell
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