What is it about?
"2012 marked historic events in the practice of adoption in Australia. Government focus was on the formulation of apologies to those people affected by past forced adoption practices. A critical reflection on these and other Australian apologies, highlight assumptions that differentiate past domestic adoption practices from past and contemporary practice in intercountry adoption. The importance of social work, founded in the values of social justice and human rights, to ensuring the same practice standards apply to all people who give birth to children regardless of where they live is highlighted. Expanding knowledge on intercountry adoption indicates that Australia should prepare for another apology. "
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Why is it important?
Several national apologies neglect the wrongs that have occurred in intercountry adoptions. A future apology is forecast. Since this article was written It seems future apologies will be needed for the conduct of domestic adoptions in some Australian states and for children imprisoned in detention.
Perspectives
Forced adoptions is a very important issue and is not in the past. Adoptees and mothers in intercountry adoption are also expecting an apology. It has re-emerged with a vengeance in domestic adoptions. Discourse has altered and become synonymous with a gold star child protection measure. I argue that this conceptualisation is about dominance, influence and neoliberalism. Adoption should never be forced and there is no need to force it with good practice. Adoption is not a child protection intervention - assessment, family work, therapy, education and many others including the removal of children - these are child protection interventions . Adoption is one permanency planning option that comes after child protection measures. Forming conclusions beyond what the evidence shows is used as justification for force. This is a very troubling trend and a critical perspective needs to be applied.
Dr Patricia Fronek
Griffith University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Apologies for Forced Adoption Practices: Implications for Contemporary Intercountry Adoption, Australian Social Work, September 2013, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/0312407x.2013.777970.
You can read the full text:
Resources
An apology to forced adoption mothers: It's about time
The Conversation, Australia
Past and present wrongs in Australian out-of-home care: Establishing standards
Fronek, P., Tilbury, C., & Osmond, J. (2015). Past and present wrongs in Australian out-of-home care: Establishing standards. Australian Journal of Adoption, 8(2), 0-20.
Intercountry adoption: Privilege, rights and social justice
Fronek, P., Cuthbert, D., & Willing, I. (2015). Intercountry adoption: Privilege, rights and social justice. In R. L. Ballard, N. H. Goodno, R. F. Cochran & J. A. Milbrandt (Eds.), The intercountry adoption debate: Dialogues across disciplines (pp. 348-365): Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
The Intercountry Adoption Debate
Huffington Post
Review of Sociological Literature on Intercountry Adoption
Willing, I., Fronek, P., & Cuthbert, D. (2012). Review of Sociological Literature on Intercountry Adoption. Social Policy and Society, 11(3), 465-479. doi:10.1017/S1474746412000140.
The future of inter-country adoption: a paradigm shift for this century
Fronek, P. & Cuthbert, D. (2012). The future of inter-country adoption: a paradigm shift for this century. International Journal of Social Welfare. 21(2), 215-224. doiI:10.1111/j.1468-2397.2011.00799.x
Sowing the seeds for future apologies? Grounds for national regret in recent and current policy and practice in ICA in Australia
Cuthbert, D., & Fronek, P. (2012). Sowing the seeds for future apologies? Grounds for national regret in recent and current policy and practice in ICA in Australia, 10th National Australian Adoption Conference. Melbourne, Australia. 22-23rd October. Australian Journal of Adoption, 6(1).
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