Hugh Jackman Joins PM Abbott on Adoption Process Amendment
Prime Minister Tony Abbott had just announced amendment to overseas adoption process. The change allowed full adoptions from Taiwan, South Korea and Ethiopia be automatically recognised in the country.
Back in June of 2012, adoption program for Ethiopia was closed. However, Australians adopted more than 600 Ethiopian-born children through the adoption program.
Accounts showed that there were 40 per cent adoptions from Taiwan and South Korea in 2012-2013.
Details of the announced changes will be made public in an event on Dec 2014 with actor Hugh Jackman, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The change in Australia's overseas adoption will end long court processes for those families who wanted to adopt from the three countries mentioned.
The change was good news for adoption advocate, Deborra-Lee Furness, wife of Mr Jackman.
''This will change the trajectory of so many children's' lives. Now families who want to go through the process won't be scared off by it. For this to be happening after six years [of campaigning] is so exciting. I am particularly happy for the many families who will be directly affected by this immediate action, '' Ms Furness told Channel Nine on Tuesday.
"We have been calling for change for a long time, and I am absolutely thrilled to see the Prime Minister's office committing to real action," Ms Furness added.
The amendment to overseas adoption program will be favourable for couples and families who were waiting for more than a decade for adoptions to be approved.
"At the moment, if you adopt from those countries, you not only have court processes overseas, you've got court processes here in Australia. We're going to cut that red tape out so it's going to make it much, much easier for dozens of families every year to adopt from South Korea and Taiwan," Mr Abbott told Channel Nine.
Back in Dec of 2013, NSW raised the issue on lengthy overseas adoption program during the Commonwealth Heads of Government (COAG) meeting.