Today marks the 12th Anniversary of the National Apology for Forced Adoptions.
🎥 You can view a recording of the Apology HERE
📄And download the words of the Apology HERE
The apology was one of 20 Recommendations made by the Senate Committee on Community Affairs
Only a few of the Recommendations have been implemented – some have been implemented in part or the outcome was not as intended, and many have not been implemented at all.
This is not good enough!
📣A National Reckoning Is Overdue!
Adoptee Rights Australia calls for a Royal Commission into adoption itself – past and present.
➡️Why a Royal Commission is Needed:
– The deep and ongoing harm of adoption has never been fully investigated on a national scale in Australia.
– Forced Adoption Apology was just the beginning. The Senate Inquiry acknowledged the injustices of adoption practices, however no major systemic changes followed and many affected individuals still lack proper support and recognition.
– Adoption trauma is life-long. Cumulative trauma worsens over time and impacts physical and mental health.
– Post-adoption support is inadequate. The Forced Adoption Support Services (FASS) were established but have been poorly evaluated and underfunded. There is no national framework ensuring that support is trauma-informed and culturally appropriate.
– Ongoing inconsistencies and harmful practices. Jurisdictional differences mean adoptees in some states have better access to records and Integrated Birth Certificates (IBCs) than others.
➡️The terms of reference for a Royal Commission must be co-designed with lived experience stakeholders, and investigate the long-term outcomes of adoption for adopted people, including:
– the long-term effects of adoption on adoptees (loss of identity, loss of culture, trauma, medical history gaps).,
– genealogical bewilderment,
– access to adoption records and ongoing barriers (legal, bureaucratic, financial),
– cumulative trauma,
– duty of care in historical and current post-adoption services,
– reunion complexities,
– jurisdictional inconsistencies in adoption laws and practices, and their effects.
➡️A Royal Commission into Adoption would provide:
– Truth-telling—a full, transparent investigation into past and present adoption practices.
– Justice—acknowledgment of harm and potential reparations.
– Policy reform—ensuring adoptees and first families receive the recognition and support they deserve.
This would be a historic opportunity to reshape adoption policies in Australia to center the rights and well-being of adoptees rather than just the needs of adoptive families or the state.
➡️Lessons from Other Royal Commissions:
– The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013–2017) led to significant legislative and policy changes.
– The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (2019–2023) exposed systemic failures and paved the way for reforms.
A Royal Commission into adoption could bring similar accountability and ensure adoptees’ voices are heard at a national level.