New South Wales Consolidated Acts

ADOPTION ACT 2000 - SECT 64

64 Consent to adoption of Aboriginal child

(1) Before a person gives consent to the adoption of an Aboriginal child:

(a) he or she is to be given adoption counselling by a person approved in accordance with section 195, or

(b) if he or she is offered, but refuses, adoption counselling by such a person he or she must:

(i) be provided by the Director-General or appropriate principal officer with written information on Aboriginal customs and culture and any other matters the Director-General or principal officer considers would have been raised by the person, and

(ii) sign an acknowledgement that he or she has read (or, if he or she cannot read, had read to) and understood the information.

(2) A person who refuses adoption counselling cannot consent to the adoption until at least 7 days after being given the information referred to in subsection (1) (b).

(3) In this section:
"adoption counselling" means consultation that includes consideration of the possibility of a child being cared for in accordance with Aboriginal customs and culture.