Australia Says ‘NO’ to Ethiopia Adoptions UPDATED

By on 6-28-2012 in Australia, Ethiopia, International Adoption, Wide Horizons for Children

Australia Says ‘NO’ to Ethiopia Adoptions UPDATED

The Ethiopia-Australia relationship hasn’t been copacetic since September of 2009 when a damning expose on the US agency Christian World Adoption  aka CWA (now one of the first to be approved to place from the newly-opened Kyrgyzstan) aired. See Fly Away Children from the Australian Broadcasting Company reported by Andrew Geoghegan here.

“Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said the decision had come after years of problems with the program.

“Unfortunately the adoption environment in Ethiopia has become increasingly unpredictable, complex and uncertain, leaving many prospective Australian parents in limbo for years,” Ms Roxon said.

The inter-country adoption agreement had been plagued with issues, including a one-year suspension of adoptions.

Ms Roxon said the government would work with Australian families who had been trying to adopt a child from Ethiopia.

“I know that there are families who have been committed to the program and will be disappointed.”

Government ends Ethiopian adoption program

[Herald Sun 6/29/12 by Michelle Ainsworth]

The Australian government’s official Attorney General announcement can be accessed here and is pasted below.

“Closure of Ethiopia Program – June 2012

Current as at – 28 June 2012

Key points:

  • Australia has closed its intercountry adoption program with Ethiopia, following several years of issues with the Program, a suspension of all adoptions between 2009 and early 2010, as well as long waits and uncertainty for Australian prospective adoptive parents.
  • The Australian Government has taken this difficult decision, in consultation with State and Territory Central Authorities.
  • The best interests and rights of children are the most important consideration for intercountry adoption programs.
  • The adoption environment in Ethiopia has become increasingly unpredictable, complex and uncertain, leaving many prospective Australian parents in limbo for years.
  • The Government has concluded that this uncertainty, combined with obstacles to operating the Program in a sustainable and ethical way into the future, means the Program needs to be closed.
  • The Australian Government has decided to close the Program at this time because it will not impact on any individual Ethiopian children as there are none currently referred to the Program.
  • The Australian Government will continue to support Ethiopia in ensuring that the rights of Ethiopian children are protected.
  • The Australian Government will also continue to support children adopted from Ethiopia and their families in maintaining their cultural links with Ethiopia.
  • Prospective adoptive parents who have paid fees to the Program will have their fees refunded in full. State and Territory Central Authorities will provide advice in relation to whether fees paid to them can be refunded.

Program update

The Ethiopia Program has consistently been Australia’s most complex and challenging program. Information gathered during the April/May 2012 delegation visit confirmed the significant challenges facing the Program.

Growing use of alternative forms of care for children in Ethiopia

Ethiopian children in need increasingly have alternative long-term care options made available to them in Ethiopia.

The Australian Government supports the Ethiopian Government’s efforts to pursue the best interests of their children by facilitating domestic adoptions, long-term foster care arrangements and assisting families in crisis.

Unfortunately for prospective adoptive parents outside Ethiopia, this means that it is likely that there will be fewer children referred for intercountry adoption. This makes the adoption environment challenging and unpredictable, resulting in lengthening waiting times and uncertainty in the adoption process.

Changes regarding children in need of adoption and increasing costs

Growing numbers of non-government adoption agencies operating in Ethiopia, and the closure of orphanages due to greater government scrutiny, has led to increased competition for referrals of Ethiopian children to intercountry adoption programs.

This environment makes it difficult for Australia’s Program to continue to operate in a sustainable and ethical manner.

Despite the best endeavours of the Program to manage its community development projects so that they meet both Ethiopian Government requirements and Australian Government standards, the changing environment will make this increasingly problematic in the future, placing additional strain on Program and Government resources.

The Australian Government is confident that, to date, the Program has operated in an ethical manner and it has no concerns in relation to children referred to the Program and adopted by Australian adoptive parents.

Rising costs for adoption program essentials (such as food and accommodation) mean that, if the program was to continue, prospective parents would also face increasing costs.

Arrangements with Service Provider

The Program and its service provider, Wide Horizons for Children, have come to the view that the changing conditions in Ethiopia mean that the volume of intercountry adoptions initially anticipated at the commencement of the arrangement is unlikely to be achieved.

Wide Horizons for Children has also advised that, in light of these changing circumstances, it has decided to partially reallocate its resources and shift more focus from adoptions to its humanitarian activities in Ethiopia.

As a result, the Program and Wide Horizons for Children have agreed to end their arrangement. Given the other issues confronting the Program, Australia will not replace the role of Wide Horizons for Children within the Program.”

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Parents matched to children in Ethiopia through an adoption program shut down by Labor when it was in power will have the adoptions finalised by the Coalition.

The government will also broaden laws to make Australian adoption from Taiwan and South Korea easier.

The loosening of regulations will mean parents have a shorter wait after their adoption is approved in the other country. Currently it can take a year before Australia gives the final green light.

“This is a very good thing to make it easier for families to adopt from overseas,” prime minister Tony Abbott said. “Kids without parents go to parents without kids. It’s a win-win situation. At the moment, if you adopt from those countries you not only have court processes overseas, you’ve got court processes here in Australia.”

The Ethiopian intercountry adoption program was permanently closed in June 2012 by the attorney general at the time, Nicola Roxon. It will remain closed but the families who had been approved and were waiting for the adoption to be finalised will have their adoptions recognised in Australia.

Abbott said the changes would make it “much easier” for the families who had been stuck in limbo.

At least seven families were waiting for their adoptions to be finalised when the program was closed, according to the Australian, though the Labor party initially said there were no adoptions in the pipeline at the time.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister’s office said it was aware of three families in the program who were definitely eligible to have their adoptions finalised.

South Korea and Taiwan are not signatories to the Hague convention, so instead of having their adoption recognised immediately under Australian law parents need to get an adoption order in Australia.

Under the changes, the adoptions will be recognised automatically and the citizenship process will begin as soon as the child arrives in Australia.

Actor Deborra-Lee Furness, the founder of the organisation Adoption Awareness, has been campaigning for changes to Australia’s adoption laws to make it easier to adopt. The prime minister’s office contacted her on Monday to let her know about the proposed changes.

“Yes, I gather she is quite excited,” Abbott said. “Look, for dozens and dozens of families this is very, very good news because what could be better than giving an orphan child the love of parents? And that’s what we’re all about here.””

Adoptions from Ethiopia to be finalised by Coalition after extended delays[The Guardian 3/3/14 by Bridie Jabour]

2 Comments

  1. Hello, I understand the decision to close the program however I can’t understand why Australia can’t make certain that the people who have been waiting to adopt for the last 4 to 5 years can’t be supported to adopt their son or daughter in a legal and ethical way. There would be a way to do this if the Australian government really cared. Close the program if this is really necessary but ensure the children are given their families who have been waiting, praying and hoping that they will one day hold their loved one close to them. Putting people through so much pain is a terrible thing to do. I believe the Australian government could find a way to ensure that everything is above board and connect the waiting parents with their children they have been so longing for.

    • Carolyn, I think the issues are too great on the Ethiopia side to ensure ethical placements. A better question may be: why aren’t other countries closing? US agencies have moved their operations to other regions but there are still no guarantees that harvesting isn’t occuring as harvesting is LEGAL. Legal, but UNethical.

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