Children in need of a loving home

The real work of the Australian Parliament does not take place in the House of Representatives chamber.

The real work takes place in the conversations in the hallways, in our cross-house committees and in meetings with ministers.

This sitting fortnight, a report was presented entitled Breaking Barriers: A National Adoption Framework for Australian Children.

It is Australia’s great shame that of the 48,000 children in out-of-home care – children who have been left, or whom the authorities have intervened to protect – only 246 have been adopted in the past 12 months.

It is essential that children be protected. It is essential that the children of Australia are never abused, neglected or hurt.

How we look after children says a lot about the kind of society we are, and we need to do more.

More must be done to place children who are in out-of-home care into permanent homes.

I have some personal experience in this area and I’ve observed the difference in behaviour and security within a child when they have a permanent place to call home.

My observations are that the interests of the child are sometimes found to be secondary to those of the birth parents.

:KLOH ZH QHHG WR PDNH HYHU\ HIIRUW IRU XQL¿ cation, we must also seek to uphold what is best IRU WKH FKLOG &KLOGUHQ PXVW FRPH ¿UVW

Supporting foster parents and encouraging the transition to permanency and open adoption needs more emphasis if we are to assist those 48,000 children in out-of-home care tonight.

State-based agencies and state governments SOD\ D VLJQL¿FDQW UROH LQ WKH ZHOIDUH RI FKLOGUHQ

This Federal Government report begins a process of reform and a conversation that Australia must have.

Australia has the second lowest rate of adoption in the developed world. We have 48,000 children who need a place to call home.

It is time to change that.