post order support services
You may have heard about "open adoption", a term which refers to adoption situations where there is some contact between the birth parents and the adopted child.
Even though identifying information about the birth family is not available until the adopted person is 18, adoptive families, birth families and the adopted child can still communicate, and even meet, when the child is under 18 - if everyone agrees.
DoCS has set up a Post Order Support Service (POSS) to assist with this communication and provide support and counselling.
POSS is available to adoptive and birth families of children born in NSW and overseas where DoCS was involved in arranging the adoption.
ways you can stay in contact
The Adoption Act 2000 allows an Adoption Plan to be registered at the Supreme Court which can outline how contact between the birth and adoptive families will take place.
Each person has different feelings about how much contact or news they would like. There are many ways birth and adoptive families stay in touch, for example by writing letters/emails to one another, sending photos or by face to face meetings.
Exchange of news and contact usually begins with the adoption agency involved but may progress to direct contact between the parties if everyones agrees.
non-identifying information
POSS can provide non-identifying information compiled at the time of adoption. A fee may be charged for this service.
For adopted children and their adoptive parents, this is information about the child’s background, including all medical information available.
For birth parents this is information about their child’s health and placement and some details about the adoptive parents.
exchange of information
The adoption plan made at the time of placement usually includes details about what and how information can be exhanged. POSS can help coordinate this exchange. The exchange may include letters, photos, cards, gifts and videos.
Birth parents can be reassured about the health and progress of their child and adoptive parents can keep in touch with what is happening in the life of their child’s birth family.
contact after a long time: outreach
After a long period of time has passed, it is sometimes possible for POSS to obtain and pass on current information about the other person.
If many years have gone by since the Department has had any contact, the decision to provide information can depend on what kind of agreement, if any, was made as part of the adoption plan.
If there is nothing in the records that indicates that an approach would be unwise, then an effort is made to get in touch with the other person. However, even if an agreement has been made, there is no guarantee of a response and each person’s right to privacy must be respected.
If urgent medical information is needed, an approach is usually made.
If the adopted child is close to 18, then it might be better to wait until contact is made through usual means (see how to contact your birth parents or how to contact your child).
outreach for teenagers
POSS receives many enquiries from adoptive parents of teenagers as well as independent enquiries from young people.
There are a number of reasons for the need for information at this time:
- sometimes an adoptee is depressed and their doctor considers it would be beneficial to know more about the birth family’s medical history
- the adoptee may have difficulty coping with a particular aspect of the adoption and may need some answers from the birth parents.
- sometimes a young person may no longer be living with the adoptive parents and this situation might serve as a trigger for wanting to find out about the birth family
- at any age an adoptee might have a deep need to know that their birth mother is alive and well, to see her or to have photos and information about her.
outreach for medical information
Outreach can be made when:
- adoptive parents have a need for information about their child’s medical history
- the family doctor has requested further details about an adopted child's medical background in order to help with diagnosis or treatment of a particular condition
- the adopted child develops a medical condition which is not part of the original birth family history provided, and it is important for the birth family to know about it
- a birth parent has another child with an illness which can be inherited and certain tests for the adopted child may be advisable
- a birth parent becomes aware of medical information in their family some time after the adoption has occurred and there are implications for the future wellbeing of the adopted child.
Please Post Adoption Resource Centre on 02 9365 3444 if you are concerned about some medical condition in your family and you think that the information should be passed on.
meetings
POSS may be able to arrange meetings between birth and adoptive families.
When making the arrangements, the wishes, feelings and needs of all the people involved are taken into account. The privacy of both parties is protected and no one’s identity is revealed unless this is a carefully considered decision which has been made by everyone involved.
counselling
The counselling service in POSS is limited and referrals will be made where appropriate to other services (see ).
However, there is a variety of situations in which counselling is offered:
- adoptive parents may need some guidance in conveying new or difficult information which the birth family has provided
- adoptive parents may need support in telling their child of their adoption or in dealing with their child’s sadness
- when adoptees reach adolescence adoptive parents often approach POSS for support and advice
- even after a period of time has passed since the adoption, birth parents may again experience feelings of loss and seek assistance from POSS
- birth parents may ask for help in telling their spouse or other children about the adoption.
registers
DoCS runs the following registers:
Reunion and Information Register
Birth parents, adoptive parents, adoptees and their birth siblings use this register if they wish to have contact with the person from whom they were separated by adoption.
Adoptees between the ages of 12 and 18 may register with the consent of their parents or guardian. (There is a $65 fee for RIR registration.)
Contact Veto Register
Birth parents and adopted persons over the age of 17 years and 6 months may place their names on this register if they do not wish to be contacted by the other party to the adoption. A contact veto may be lodged only in relation to adoptions where the order was made prior to 26th October, 1990. (There is no fee for registration)
Advance Notice Register
Birth parents, adoptees over the age of 17 years and 6 months and adoptive parents may register if they wish to be informed before identifying information about them is released to the other party to the adoption. (There is no fee for registration)
See more on advance notices.
contact with others
It may be helpful for birth parents and adoptive parents to talk to others in a similar situation to themselves. POSS can put you in touch with someone whose experience is similar to yours. It can also refer you to an appropriate support group.
how to contact POSS
Post Order Support Service
Adoption and Permanent Care Services
Department of Community Services
PO BOX 3485
PARRAMATTA NSW 2124
ph: 02 8855 4900
adoption.support@community.nsw.gov.au