More than 340 children in Busselton, Bunbury and Collie are in care, according to child protection minister Simone McGurk, and since 2013 there have been only nine carer adoptions in WA.
Despite these alarming figures, foster carers in WA are eligible to apply for adoption after two years of care, but not-for-profit organisation Adopt Change stated the process was often lengthy taking many years.
South West child protection advocate Martin Dearlove is shining a spotlight on open adoption hoping one day every child will have a safe home and bright future.
Mr Dearlove said while open adoption was controversial because of past history, it was about keeping a child’s culture, religion, identity, history and connection alive.
“The outcomes for children who are in open adoption, which has been proven time-and-time again, is very good,” he said.
Mr Dearlove said child protection numbers were increasing and many of these children were drifting through care putting them at risk of homelessness, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and suicide.
A study looking at the number of adverse childhood experiences a person had in life, found the more adversity a person suffered through childhood the more problems they would have in adulthood.
“Resilience comes into this as well, if you had great support, great parents, a great school and great relatives around you then you could probably pull through that with less problematic mental health,” he said.
“But a lot of these children do not have that, they are removed or placed in care, and being place in care is a frightening experience for a child.”
Adopt Change chief executive officer Renee Carter said in a report, children living away from their birth parents for more than two years, with many of them moving too many times, missed out on having a permanent place to call home.
“And while there are many families wanting to provide a permanent, loving and safe home for these children, there are a myriad of roadblocks and barriers keeping these potential families apart.”
Child protection minister Simone McGurk said adoption was just one of a number of options that could provide long term stable care.
Ms McGurk said a statutory review of the Adoption Act 1994 (WA) was currently being undertaken and should be tabled in Parliament prior to the end of 2018.
“I want to encourage people in the South West to consider opening their hearts and homes to the rewarding possibilities of foster caring.”
