Furness to lobby on adoption
Not without any reason do certain governments discourage parents from adopting overseas babies, since this is a driving force behind child abandonment in many third world countries: Romania, India, Guatemala, to name only a few.
The adoption lobby to keep children coming to the western world is already too powerful, we don't need another supporter of adoption, especially not one who wants to speed up procedures in the best interest of...
If we want to do something for children in poor countries and I believe we should, we can support programs that support local care, programs that support family preservation. Do we have to be so greedy we need a child in return of our "humanitarian" actions.
By Ellen Connolly
August 12, 2007 12:00am
ACTRESS Deborra-lee Furness will form an adoption action group to lobby governments to change the law to make it easier to adopt.
Furness said she had received overwhelming public support accusing federal and state governments of discouraging parents from adopting overseas babies.
In an article in The Sunday Telegraph last week, Furness told of how she and her husband, Hugh Jackman, were forced to return to the US to adopt Oscar, 7, and Ava, 2, because of red tape and bureaucracy.
"We'll continue to push until we get some changes made because this is an injustice to Australian families,'' Furness said.
"It's also a humanitarian issue. There are millions of abandoned babies needing homes.''
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock reacted immediately following last week's story, calling on state bodies to nominate representatives for a peak national body.
Furness said her next stop was Prime Minister John Howard. She has made a formal application for a meeting to discuss what she believes is "an anti-adoption culture''.
"It is a huge humanitarian concern and it is urgent. Something needs to be done now,'' she said.
But while Furness's action group is determined to see changes made, the Queensland Government is creating more obstacles, raising application fees by 250 per cent to $5000.
NSW remains the most costly state, with the final bill for couples about $40,000.
Sydney couple Kim and Stephen Biddulph have endured 10 years of anguish to give two Colombian children a family.
"(The Department of Community Services) are certainly under-resourced to cope. I believe they did have an anti-adoption mentality,'' Mrs Biddulph said.
The couple first applied in 1997. They adopted Gabriel four years ago and Angelica earlier this year.
"I'm frustrated with our government that there are so many good families desperate for a family and yet they can't get their files out.''
Mark Byrne, president of support group the International Adoptive Families of Queensland, has joined forces with Furness, calling on the Federal Government to make intercountry adoption a priority.
"Dealing with Australian states is like dealing with seven different countries because they vary in fees and requirements,'' he said.
Furness said she had been shocked by the heartbreaking stories of adoption attempts.
"I continue to be educated on the injustices and I'm shocked at some of the stories,'' she said.
"That's what infuriates me. It's not fair. We do have a responsibility to families and to the children. They are our future.''