Adopt Change exists to ensure every child has access to a safe, nurturing and permanent family home and that families caring for children who have experienced trauma receive the support they need.

During 2024–25, 42,400 children and young people experienced out-of-home care in Australia. At 30 June 2025, 34,600 children were in care, including 24,800 who had been in care for two years or more. Around 3,300 were living outside home-based care.

For children who cannot safely return to their birth families, a stable and lasting family environment is critical. Placement changes and prolonged uncertainty can compound trauma and affect children’s emotional wellbeing, behaviour, relationships and sense of belonging. Every child needs to feel safe, supported and connected to family, community and culture.

42,400 children and young people experienced out-of-home care during 2024–25

3,300 children were living outside home-based care at 30 June 2025

Children in out-of-home care can face emotional, behavioural and social challenges.

Source: AIHW Child Protection Report 2024-25

Supporting families supports children

Stable, well-supported families are fundamental to children’s wellbeing. Research shows that warm and responsive caregiving, placement stability and carer wellbeing are associated with better socio-emotional outcomes for children in out-of-home care.

Support must extend beyond the initial placement or legal permanency decision. Families may continue to need specialist therapeutic services, reliable information, advocacy, training and connection with people who understand their experiences.

Adopt Change connects and supports foster, kinship, guardianship and adoptive families throughout their journey. We also advocate for systems that recognise their contribution and provide the practical, financial and therapeutic support they need.

Permanency is critical to children’s wellbeing

Permanency is more than a placement. It means having enduring relationships, a secure sense of belonging and adults who provide consistent care throughout childhood and beyond.

This stability is particularly important for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, separation or other trauma. Timely permanency planning can reduce uncertainty and give children a stronger foundation from which to heal, develop and build lasting relationships.

There is no single pathway to permanency

Where it is safe and in a child’s best interests, supporting families and restoring children to their parents should be prioritised. When restoration is not possible, permanency may be achieved through placement with relatives or kin, guardianship, long-term care or open adoption.

The right pathway will be different for every child. Decisions must centre the child’s safety, identity, culture, relationships and views, while preserving meaningful connections wherever it is safe to do so. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, connection to family, kin, community, Country and culture must remain central.

Adoption can provide permanency for some children

When a child cannot safely return to their birth family or live with relatives or kin, open adoption may provide a permanent legal and family relationship.

Adoption will not be the right option for every child. Where it is considered, decisions must be timely, child-centred and based on the individual child’s best interests, identity and need for lifelong connection.

Children and families need timely decisions

Children can spend years living with uncertainty while decisions about their future are made. Complex processes, delays and inconsistent approaches can prevent children and their carers from having the stability and certainty they need.

Child protection systems must make careful, timely and evidence-informed decisions, then provide families with ongoing support. The goal should be a safe, stable and lasting family environment for every child, with services that understand trauma and respond to each family’s needs.