Adoption Files [Dependent Children and Adoptions Branch, Department of Community Services]

This archival series, Adoption Files [Dependent Children and Adoptions Branch, Department of Community Services], relate to adoptions where the New South Wales state government department in charge of child ‘welfare’ and ‘services’ at the time was the intermediary between the adoptive and birth parents. The records in this series are dated from 1947 to 1974 and mainly include basic information about adoptive and birth parents of children as well as District Officers reports.

Access Conditions

This series, Adoption files [Dependent Children and Adoptions Branch, Department of Community Services], is held by the State Records Authority of New South Wales. However people wishing to access the records in this series will need to contact the Adoption Information Unit. The Adoption Information Unit (AIU) is part of the New South Wales state government department of Family and Community Services and provides adoption information and support for individuals and their families in relation to adoptions in New South Wales and Intercountry adoptions that involve New South Wales.

Records

These files relate to the adoption of children in cases where the Department has acted as the intermediary between the natural and adopting parents.

The records in this series contain information about:

• Applications and related correspondence from prospective adopting parents;
• Consents on the part of either or both of the birth parents, and sometimes of the child or person proposed to be adopted where such child or person is over the age of twelve years; and
• District Officer’s reports

The District Officer’s reports contain general information about the adopting parents, birth parents, and child (For example age, name, nationality, marital status, occupation, income, address, reason for adoption, experience with children, physical descriptions, religion, etc.) as well as the District Officers opinion and evaluation of the ‘suitability’ of the adoptive parents, the adoptive home, and the educational and recreational facilities that will be available to the child.

Between 1947 and 1974 there were significant changes in the titles and roles of various New South Wales state government departments including those responsible for adoptions. Between 1923 and 1970 the Child Welfare Department was the name of the government body responsible for adoptions, in 1970 this became the Department of Child Welfare and Social Welfare until 1973.

In 1973 the Department of Youth and Community Services was created and took responsibility for adoptions. For a brief period between 1975 and 1976 the Youth, Ethnic and Community Affairs Department was responsible for adoptions before the Department of Youth and Community Services took back responsibility.

Because of this the records in this series may come from any of these departments, and the people whose information may be contained in these records may have dealt with one or more of these departments.