CODE 1   Known adoption

Known child adoption is the adoption of a child/children born or permanently residing in Australia before the adoption, who have a pre-existing relationship with the adoptive parent(s) and who are generally not able to be adopted by anyone other than the adoptive parent(s). These types of adoptions are broken down into the following categories: Step-parent, Relative, Carer and Other.

CODE 2    Local adoption

A local adoption is the adoption of a child/children born or permanently residing in Australia before the adoption, who is legally able to be placed for adoption, but who generally had no previous contact or relationship with the adoptive parents.

INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION

An intercountry adoption is an adoption of a child/children by a person/couple habitually resident in Australia from a country other than Australia who is legally able to be placed for adoption, but who generally has had no previous contact or relationship with the adoptive parents. Inter-country adoptions are broken down into the following categories:

CODE 3    Hague intercountry adoption

An intercountry adoption where the adoptive child’s country of origin has ratified or acceded to the Hague Convention, and the file of the applicant(s) was sent after the Hague Convention entered into force in that country

CODE 4    Bilateral Intercountry adoption

An intercountry adoption where Australia had an official adoption program open with the adoptive child’s country of origin at the time the file of the applicant(s) was sent, but where the Hague Convention had not entered into force in that country before the file was sent.

CODE 5    Non-Hague intercountry adoption

An intercountry adoption where Australia did not have an official adoption program open with the adoptive child’s country of origin at the time the file of the applicant(s) was sent, and the Hague Convention had not entered into force in that country before the file was sent.