10. Respond to a request to provide one-off post adoption services

In response to certain critical or sensitive events, Adoption Services is required to contact parties to an adoption order made in Queensland, and may contact the CSSC in the geographic area which a person lives to request their assistance with contacting the person or providing sensitive information.

Interstate adoption service units and overseas adoption agencies may contact Adoption Services to request that contact be made with, or a service be provided to, a person affected by an adoption order made in the interstate or overseas jurisdiction, who now lives in Queensland.

Wherever possible, Adoption Services provides one-off post adoption services directly or arranges to contract a worker or refers the matter to an appropriate community agency for attention. However, there are some occasions where due to the location or another factor it is not possible for Adoption Services to do so. In these instances, the Adoption Services team leader contacts the CSSC manager to request assistance with providing a one-off post adoption service and to advise what other options that have been pursued and why these options are not available.

If the Adoption Services team leader requests such assistance, the CSSC manager must consider the request and wherever possible, arrange for the CSSC to provide the requested assistance.

One off post-adoption services may include:

  • contacting an adopted person, who has lodged a contact statement requesting no contact with birth relatives, to seek further information or provide medical information
  • contacting a birth parent, who has lodged a contact statement requesting no contact with the adopted person, to seek further information or provide medical information
  • contacting birth parents to advise them of the adopted child's death or the death of the child's adoptive parents
  • providing information, and obtaining signed statements from eligible persons seeking identifying information in accordance with the Adoption Act 2009, section 271(3)
  • providing counselling, on behalf of an interstate or overseas adoption authority, which must occur before the adoption authority can provide identifying adoption information to an adopted person or birth parent living in Queensland
  • responding to other special or sensitive circumstances.