The Bligh Government is looking for a community organisation to run a new support service for people involved in adoptions, Child Safety Minister Phil Reeves said today.
Mr Reeves said applications were being sought from non-government organisations to provide the statewide service as part of the government’s adoption laws reforms currently before Parliament.
The new adoption support service will have a free call helpline, local counsellors in the south-east and later in regional Queensland, as well as providing training in adoption issues for health professionals and other counsellors.
“People affected by adoption will have access to free telephone and face-to-face advice from government-funded counsellors from 1 October in preparation for the introduction of the new laws in early 2010,” Mr Reeves said.
“Adoption is a complex and sensitive matter that affects many people – adopted people, birth parents, adoptive parents and extended family.
“The new adoption support service being established this year is an important element of the modern adoption system this government is putting in place.
“It will support people affected by adoption throughout their life as well as building skills and knowledge about adoption issues among other health and ‘helping’ practitioners.
“Importantly, the service will be available to help people work through the effects of the new laws on them about information and privacy.”
Legislation was re-introduced to Parliament in April to replace the 1964 Adoption of Children Act.
The reform bill was introduced to Parliament in February this year, but along with several other bills lapsed when Parliament was dissolved for the March election.
The new adoption laws will also enable all adopted people and birth parents to obtain identifying information about other people associated with the same adoption once the adopted person is 18 years of age, irrespective of when the adoption occurred.
Other significant reforms include:
·the introduction of open adoption, where a child’s birth and adoptive families can know each other from the time of the adoption,
·courts, rather than public servants, making adoption orders - in line with other states and territories and
·allowing defacto couples who have been in a relationship for at least two years to adopt.
As well as face-to-face counselling and the helpline, the new post-adoption support service will:
·help people to prepare the documents they needed to lodge with the government about whether or not they wanted to be contacted by their birth parents or their child who was adopted,
·mediate in discussions between people involved in adoption issues, and
·help people understand adoption information when it is received.
Mr Reeves said the Department of Communities would be seeking a community agency to run the new adoption support service for the government.
“We will be seeking expressions of interest by mid-year in time for the service to be running by October 1,” he said.
Non-government organisations have until June 22 to submit their bids to run the service.
For more information, visit www.childsafety.qld.gov.au and click on Post Adoption Support Service – grant funding available under Announcements, or phone 3224 4546.
Intending applicants are advised to contact project manager (Adoption) Kathie Scott on 3239 0951 to discuss their proposal.
Media contact: Minister Reeves’ office 3224 7081
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