Adoption Information Services came into being in July 2019 when the delivery of local adoptions, inter-country adoptions and information about past adoptions were transferred from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Justice and Community Safety. Previously, the Victorian government adoption information service was called Family Information, Networks and Discovery (FIND). It is the centralised Victorian adoption information service, providing access to government and non government adoption records.
The Report of the Inquiry into Responses to Historical Forced Adoptions in Victoria (August 2021) contained a recommendation that "the Victoria Government cease the operation of adoption information services within approved agencies and centralise Victoria's Adoption Information Service" (Recommendation 31).
This recommendation has been implemented and Adoption Information Services, within the Department of Justice and Community Safety, is the centralised service to apply for information about adoptions that took place in the state of Victoria.
People can also choose to apply for adoption information through four former adoption agencies: Anglicare, CatholicCare, Child and Family Services Ballarat and Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited. These four organisations have adoption records in their custody (as well as records relating to their past provision of out-of-home care).
If the adoption agency that arranged an adoption has ceased to provide adoption services, people need to apply for records through the Adoption Information Service in the Department of Justice and Community Safety.
People also have the option of receiving support from an organisation such as VANISH.
As of 2022, counselling is no longer required when applying for adoption information.
c. 1984 - 2010 Adoption and Family Records Service
2010 - 2019 Family Information, Networks and Discovery
2019 - Adoption Information Services, Department of Justice and Community Safety
Prepared by: Cate O'Neill
Created: 26 July 2023, Last modified: 18 April 2024
Last updated: 18 April 2024
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/vic/biogs/ENT0014b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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