The 1984 Adoption Act (No. 10150) was a significant shift in adoption policy in Victoria. The Adoption Act 1984 focused on the needs of adopted children, and enshrined a child’s right to access information about his or her family of origin.
In 1978 the Victorian Government had commissioned a review of the 1964 Adoption Act. There was great public interest in the report, which took four years to prepare, received 880 submissions, ran to more than 300 pages and contained 247 recommendations. There was widespread support for its proposals, most of which were taken up in the Adoption Act 1984 (Vic).
The 1984 Act established the principle that the best interests of the child should be the paramount consideration in adoption decisions. It introduced the concept of open adoption, which allows for ongoing contact between the child, birth parents, and adoptive parents, when deemed in the best interests of the child.
The Adoption Act 1984 provided for the creation of an Adoption Information Service in Victoria. The Act established mechanisms for the sharing of information between parties involved in the adoption process. It allows for the exchange of information, including medical and genetic information, between birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adopted person.
The Hon. Pauline Toner (who died in 1989) was an important figure in the introduction of this legislation to the Victorian Parliament.