More children will enjoy Christmas in safe and loving homes thanks to landmark NSW Government reforms that support permanency for vulnerable children in out-of-home care.
Recent changes to child protection legislation build on a number of already successful reforms that ensure children and young people in NSW grow up in stable homes where they can thrive.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said recent changes to child protection legislation would ensure that children would no longer languish in out-of-home care.
"We want all children in NSW to enjoy the benefits of a safe and loving home, particularly at Christmas," Ms Berejiklian said.
"We work tirelessly with a child’s parents to help them change, but if their children cannot live safely with them, guardianship or open adoption is the next option to be considered."
Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward said NSW finalised a record 140 adoption orders in 2017-18.
"NSW leads the nation in open adoption, which offers vulnerable children and young people the security they deserve," Ms Goward said.
"Sadly, there will always be children who are unable to live safely with their parents, despite every effort to help them to change".
"Those children deserve to grow up in a loving home and I am proud that the NSW Government is reforming the child protection system to achieve that."
The NSW Government has introduced a number of reforms to make adopting children in out-of-home-care easier including:
- Establishing the My Forever Family NSW program to support carers and help children in out-of-home care achieve permanency.
- Establishing the Adoptions Taskforce to reduce red tape to halve the average time of the adoption process.
- Investing $17 million in this year’s budget to achieve a goal of 1000 adoptions over the next four years.
- Introducing a means-tested Adoption Allowance in 2017 to reduce financial barriers to adoption.
