This statement sets out the Commissioner’s child rights, human rights and governance-based position on adoption in Queensland and on any proposal to amend adoption law or policy as it applies to children.
This position is grounded in the enduring best interests of the child, the rights of children to family, identity, culture and participation, and the obligation of the State to act lawfully, compatibly with human rights, proportionately and accountably when making decisions that permanently alter a child’s life.
It applies to all children and families. While the rights implications are especially acute for children in the child protection system and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, adoption law affects the legal status, family relationships and rights of every child who is the subject of an adoption process.
Adoption is not an ordinary administrative decision. It is one of the most serious legal interventions the State can authorise in relation to a child. Any proposal to expand, normalise or simplify adoption must therefore be approached with the highest degree of caution.