Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Adoption Act 1984 - SECT 68

Supervision of certain adopted children

68. Supervision of certain adopted children



(1) Subject to this section, where-

   (a)  a child is adopted in a country, other than New Zealand, outside the
        Commonwealth and the Territories, whether or not the adoption is an
        adoption that has, under this Act, the same effect as an adoption
        order under this Act;

   (b)  the adoption in relation to the child has been in force for a period
        not exceeding twelve months;

   (c)  neither of the adoptive parents of the child was or, where there is
        only one adoptive parent, that parent was not, at the time of the
        making of the order of adoption with respect to the child a national
        or citizen of the country in which the order was made; and

   (d)  the child is present in Victoria-

the Secretary may supervise the welfare and interests of the child for a
period not exceeding six months commencing on the date of the arrival of the
child in Victoria and any person authorized in writing by the Secretary for
that purpose has a right of access to the child at all reasonable times during
that period.

(2) Where a child whose welfare and interests may be supervised by the
Secretary under subsection (1) has, after being adopted but before arriving in
Victoria, been resident in any other State or in a Territory or in New
Zealand, the period during which the child is subject to the supervision of
the Secretary is reduced proportionately to the period of such residence in
that other State or Territory or in New Zealand.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Secretary may, in the discretion of
the Secretary, exempt any child to whom the provisions of that subsection
would otherwise apply from the provisions of that subsection.





(4) Where either or both of the adoptive parents of the child or, where there
is only one adoptive parent, that parent, was not, before the child was
adopted, approved by the Secretary or the principal officer of an approved
agency as a person suitable to be an adoptive parent of a child under the law
of a country, other than New Zealand, outside the Commonwealth and the
Territories, the reference in subsection (1) to a period not exceeding six
months shall be read as a reference to a period not exceeding twelve months.

(5) Where the Secretary supervises the welfare and interests of a child under
this section, the Secretary may require payment by the adoptive parents or
adoptive parent of the child of a fee not exceeding the amount prescribed for
the purposes of this section.