New South Wales Consolidated Acts

ADOPTION ACT 2000 - SECT 65

65 Consent to adoption of Torres Strait Islander child

(1) Before a person gives consent to the adoption of a Torres Strait Islander child:

(a) he or she must receive adoption counselling from a person approved in accordance with section 196, or

(b) if he or she has been offered, but has refused, 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 Torres Strait Islander customs and culture and on any other matters that 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 Torres Strait Islander customs and culture.