Tony Abbott announces new measures to simplify adoption within a year

Updated

Prime Minister Tony Abbott joined forces with Deborra-Lee Furness and her husband Hugh Jackman to make it easier to adopt children both locally and overseas within a year.

Mr Abbott made the commitment at an event in Sydney, also attended by New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell.

"Adoption is all about giving children a better life," Mr Abbott said.

"For too long adoption has been in the 'too hard' basket.

"For too long it has been too hard to adopt, and for too long it has been a policy no-go zone and that must change.

"I am absolutely determined to change... and we will change within 12 months."

Statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that last financial year there were 339 children adopted in Australia; 129 from overseas and 210 locally.

It shows there has been a 77 per cent decline in the number of adoptions over the past 25 years.

Mr Abbott has established a committee on overseas adoption to report by March.

Their report will form the basis for a meeting with state and territory leaders in April.

States and territories are responsible for adoption law.

"At least some of the states are determined to make it easier to adopt," the Prime Minister said.

"And as far as the Federal Government is concerned, we are determined to ensure that overseas adoptions are much, much easier than they currently are."

Mr O'Farrell said there were only 78 adoptions in New South Wales last year.

"In this area for too long, particularly in New South Wales, long-term foster care was preferred over adoption where parents were either unwilling or unable to care for their children," he said.

"We will have a modern adoption system that gives children the best possible start at life."

Ms Furness has adopted two children with her husband Mr Jackman and has been campaigning for legal reform to the adoption laws for years.

"We all have to be the grown-ups here, we all have to look after these kids," she said.

Topics: community-and-society, family-and-children, government-and-politics, adoption, federal-government, australia

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