Families, policy and the law

This AIFS book explore some of the complexities of the child and family issues facing those working in social policy and legal systems

Past Adoption Experiences

This report presents the findings of the National Research Study on the Service Response to Past Adoption Practices

Past and present adoptions in Australia

Changes to Australia’s adoption rates and practices are drawn together in a new detailed facts sheet released today by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Past and present adoptions in Australia

Summary of the ways in which adoption currently operates, past adoption practices, and the potential impacts adoption has on those involved.

Unfit mothers ... unjust practices?

This article discusses the wealth of material on adoption in Australia, which include historical records, analyses of historical practices, case studies, expert opinions, personal testimony provided to two parliamentary inquiries, but the limited empirical research on the issue of past-adoption practices and its impact on those involved.

Joint adoption by same sex spouses in Canada

Adoption law in Australia

This document briefly outlines changes to the adoption scene in Australia in recent years

Relinquishing mothers in adoption

Investigates the effects of relinquishing a child on the subsequent adjustment of the mother

Children in stepfamilies: Their legal and family status

Discusses the appropriateness of adoption as a way of establishing the legal status and family relationships of stepchildren and stepparents