Adoption in Australia v. US?

Serenity71

Jacki

What scares me is ignorant Australians who look at the way the U.S views adoption and thinks we should do it that way too... We had a very BAD history of cohesion and it wasn't done by potential adoptive parents but by our own government.

The wounds are still there from past generations, and social services have listened intently to all sides of the triangle.

Australians can be very open about mistakes that we make, and from our chort history we seem to learn fast. Heck our government officially recognized the pain it caused the Aboriginals with the 'Stolen generation' and the Prime minister made a public apology and did a address to nation entire over it. All the files were opened that related to it from past Government depts that authorised the raids. A big day in Aust. for the aboriginal population who just wanted to be heard and their pain recognised. (Aboriginal kids were stolen from their native families and placed in 'white' Australian families to force them to assimilate into European culture. Its not a secret, you can look it up on the internet if you chose. Or watch ' Rabbit proof fence."

Then there was the young women who were trick or forced to sign adoption papers... There are documentaries on that too, Though from what posters have said here its unlikely it would be viewed in the US. Too confronting for some people.( AND nurses that came forward to back up what 'relinquishing' women were saying. I have a second cusion who worked in maternity ask me about adoption these days. I explained to her our experience and she looked relieved......She QUIT her job after being told not to allow a young mother (single) to see or hold her new born baby because she wouldn't be allowed to keep the baby anyway. She was a new nurse in the ward and it disgusted her that they showed this young girl no compassion. I found that out over Christmas at family get together. The things you learn when people find out your kids are adopted.)

I'm not saying anything most Australian's don't already know about anyway...especially the older generation. (some are still in denial....one or two states still need to catch up... the younger are thinking we must do what the U.S does because of gossip magazines and media ignorance..agghhh...) And we still have need for reforms to line up states with legislation and modern day outlook to adoption- long way to go still but we're getting there. So its not perfect.

I'm not saying we are 'better' we just have a different approach thats all towards adoption. But from what I see there are a lot of Americans who put family preservation first and cultural idenitity, and the need for openness in records they just don't have the laws to back them up.

P.S felicia- good link it describes our adoption experience very well, and that of our childs biological mother.)
Edit; the part about birth certificates is starting to come into legislation in other states. I like it that all our names are listed as parents... no lies in that.
And there are a lot of Aussie adoptive parents that support our
current system and don't want to regress back to the old one. (Or take on what goes on in the USA) Rarely do activist recognise it or acknowledge that support at all.

Edit; i forgot to point out a title of a book "Releasing the Past." Australian publication Written by women who were forced to give up babies from the 1950's onwards, social services recognises the book and so do adoptive parent assosiations, I've read it, and know many adoptive parents who have a well.

Felicita1

This was written by an adoption worker in South Australia:

"Current Adoption Policy and Practice - a Comparison between North America and Australia by Evelyn Robinson, MA, Dip Ed, BSW"

http://www.originscanada.org/comparison.html

The part I like is how parents are protected against coercion.

myst1998

Another website to find out more information on the way Australia conducted adoptions in the past is:

http://www.dianwellfare.com/

This woman is a human rights activist and defender; champion of Australian mothers and adoptees... and one of my biggest heros.

Also check out:

http://www.originsnsw.com/

If you can, get a copy of "Gone to a Good Home" which is an Australian dcoumentary that was made in 2005 documenting stories of mothers. It has won several International film festival awards and has had much acclaim here and overseas. It is harrowing viewing.

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