Open Adoption of Children in NSW Out-of-Home Care: General Public Perceptions and Motivation

In 2017, the Institute of Open Adoption Studies conducted an internet-based survey, with 1,000 residents in NSW. The survey explored perceptions, motivations, and barriers to adopting children from out-of-home care, particularly from foster care1. The NSW Government has been leading a major shift in policy and legislation to decrease the number of children who remain in long-term foster care, and prioritising kinship care, guardianship, or open adoption when restoration is not realistically possible. In addition, the NSW government invested millions in the Adoption Transformation Program, which aims to clear the backlog of pending adoption applications and work to streamline the process of open adoption.