The agency is expected to launch early next year once state and federal governments agree on the streamlined process, which will decrease the administrative practices and reduce the usual five year waiting times for Australians.
The government will also introduce changes to the Australian Citizenship Act to allow adopted children to obtain Australian citizenships in their birth country.
“Without pretending that everything is going to be easy, I hope this is significant new hope for parents without children and significant hope for children without parents,” Mr Abbott told the Nine Network this morning.
The announcement comes after the findings of the Inter-Departmental Committee report on intercountry adoption was published and discussed by chief ministers and premiers at a COAG meeting last Friday.
In December last year, the Prime Minister established the committee and announced intercountry adoption was a priority for his office.
National Adoption Awareness Week Founder, Deborah-lee Furness welcomed the announcement today by Mr Abbott.
“We are looking forward to seeing the announced changes implemented over the coming nine months, particularly the streamlining of processes in Australia, and opening of intercountry adoption programs with more countries like South Africa, announced today. I see this as a meaningful step towards helping the millions of vulnerable children around the world,” she said.
The creation of the federal adoption agency and the new agreement with South Africa are the first of many recommendations in the IDC report, with the committee calling for the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to open discussion and new adoption partnerships with Kenya, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Vietnam, Cambodia and the USA.
Related: Overseas adoption easier from today
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