Adoptions
800. Hon Rod Caddies to the minister representing the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the adoption of children in WA.
(1) How many children in WA were adopted in the 2024–25 financial year?
(2) What is the minister doing to encourage more Western Australians to adopt a child who is born and needs a loving family when the biological parents are not able to care for the child?
Hon Jackie Jarvis replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The following response has been provided by the Minister for Child Protection.
The Department of Communities advises the following.
(1)–(2) When children are brought into the care of the CEO, the initial focus is always reunification with parents when it is safe to do so. The best interests of the child must always be the paramount consideration. Every child and young person has a variety of individual needs that are considered when making a care arrangement. Adoption may occur only in instances when parents have made the decision to relinquish parental responsibility. Data on adoptions in WA in the 2024–25 financial year is not yet published. In the 2023–24 financial year, a total of 23 adoption orders were granted by the Family Court of Western Australia.
