Adoption is the legal process in which a child ceases to be the child of its biological parents and becomes the child of another person(s). In that process the legal rights and responsibilities are transferred from the birth parents to the adoptive parent/s although they may be subject to conditions. The rights and responsibilities of parenthood are final and binding even where the adoption order is later revoked.

There are three types of adoption:

• • Intercountry adoptions are the adoption of a child or children from another country by Australian citizens or permanent residents. In 2017/18 there were 330 adoptions finalised in Australia, of which 65 were intercountry adoptions. Of these adoptions, 62% were adoptions from bilateral countries, which are countries who are signatories of the Hague Convention on Protections and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (“the Hague Convention”), to which Australia became a party in December 1998. 97% of intercountry adoptions were for adoptees from Asian countries.
• • Local adoptions are the adoption of a child or children born or permanently residing in Australia, but who generally have had no previous contact or relationship with the adoptive parents. In 2017/18 there were 32 local adoptions which represents 9.6% of adoptions in Australia for that period.
• • "Known" child adoptions are the adoption of a child or children born or permanently residing in Australia who have a pre-existing relationship with the adoptive parent(s), usually as step-parents, carers or other relatives. In 2017/18 there were 233 "known" child adoptions.(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2018)

Adoption — State and territory base