Jumping through hoops to become a parent: consumer experiences of adoption

While there is ongoing debate about access to adoption, there has been little empirical research on the views of people with firsthand experiences of the adoption process. We interviewed 36 people with experience of the process of applying to adopt in Victoria, Australia. Participants commented on their experiences of different stages.

Participants were critical of the ‘one size fits all’ approach and suggested that the assessment process lacked transparency and consistency and was not evidence based. We argue that adoption eligibility criteria should be reviewed and that adoption policy and practice should be informed by the experiences of adoption applicants.