<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nearly 5000 </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/children" rel="" target="_blank" title="children"><span>children</span></a><span> are stuck in institutional housing as Australia's </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/adoption" rel="" target="_blank" title="adoption"><span>adoption</span></a><span> rates continue to plummet.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Total adoption numbers have fallen by 41 per cent, according to new data from the </span><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/adoptions/adoptions-australia/contents/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Australian Institute of Health and Welfare."><span>Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 260 children were adopted in 2020-21, but in 2024-25 that figure dropped to just 155.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-9-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines-australian-fuel-price-and-supply/ef47dfe4-094d-485b-8a6f-e770bccf2368" target="_blank"><strong><span>Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Overseas adoptions nearly halved in that period, falling from 37 to just 19.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 19 children adopted from overseas came from just six countries: Thailand, Taiwan, India, Colombia, Hong Kong and South Korea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Domestic adoptions accounted for almost 90 per cent of the adoptions finalised in 2024-25, and about 80 per cent of them were known child adoptions.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-adoption-rate-plummeting-new-data-key-findings/76b980ed-b95b-4ffa-906b-ebd10a792e43" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But even known child adoptions, wherein a child is adopted by someone they already have a relationship with, declined by about one-fifth from 147 to 119.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story about adoption? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h2><span>Australia's adoption rates have been falling for years</span></h2></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Adoption numbers have plummeted by 98 per cent since the 1970s, due in part to the introduction of open adoption legislation in the '80s and '90s.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Adopt Change chief executive Renee Leigh is concerned about how this will affect children in need if numbers continue to drop.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The primary cause of declining adoption rates are due to limited local adoptions and inter-country adoptions, and children in care not being provided with a case plan that includes their permanency planning – and in particular adoption," she told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Anecdotally, there are more people interested in adopting than the number of children with a case plan for adoption."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another challenge is that many Australians who would consider adoption will not consider foster care, due to concerns about its impermanence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many turn to surrogacy to start a family instead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-killed-in-box-hill-apartment/8ee6a945-edaf-49e7-86da-0809a216b97c" target="_blank"><strong><span>Homicide squad investigates death of man in Melbourne high-rise apartment</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Qbe_ZTVYasnWta0T1ul6ZxnTrtM=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2025%2F09%2F717620%2Fsolo-mums-ivf.png"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a missed opportunity to provide children in the system with a permanent family based home, instead of spending their childhood in residential group settings with shift workers," Leigh said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 4800 children in the Australian care system, including kids as young as two, are in institutional housing instead of growing up in a family-based home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>These children are more prone to poor outcomes including homelessness, juvenile justice, low unemployment, and incomplete education.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They're also at risk from predators.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many would benefit from adoption and it is possible in legislation, but policy and practice don't see it come to reality for many children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In many cases, children who could benefit from adoption experience significant delays or are unable to access it at all," Leigh said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This highlights a broader issue – the system doesn't always deliver timely, permanent solutions for children who need them most."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The cost of living crisis has also affected how many potential foster care families are able to open their home to a child.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Domestic adoption fees can exceed $3000, while international adoptions can cost upwards of $10,000.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The majority of adoptions in Australia in the last five years were known child adoptions, suggesting adoption is now primarily used to formalise stable, existing relationships rather than to place children with new families.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Even then, adoption can be a lengthy process, which can put some prospective adoptive parents off.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/not-so-grey-nomads-property-market-australia-lydia-and-wehan-patient-transport-van/6691073b-1e3f-4a85-9353-d3a0cae0335e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Lydia and Wehan were ready to buy a house after travelling Australia. Property prices drove them back to the road</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Long wait times may also be affecting international adoption numbers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>International adoption numbers, which had been falling since the mid-2000s, were also slashed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and have not recovered.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2024–25, the total median length of time from approval of an international adoption application to placement of a child was around four years. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Leigh wants to see a greater focus on stable guardianship and adoption for children who are unable to remain with or return safely with their family of origin.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Have you successfully gone through the adoption process, or considered adoption but been unable to pursue it? We want to hear from you - contact reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" rel="" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au."><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au.</span></em></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>