National Agenda
The Australian Government Attorney-General's Department (Intercountry Adoption Branch) has primary responsibility for developing and maintaining intercountry adoption arrangements with overseas countries.

Under the Hague Convention, it acts as the Australian Central Authority and is responsible for implementing Australia's Intercountry Adoption Strategic Plan 2008, the policy framework for regulating overseas adoption in Australia.

The individual Australian State and Territory adoption authorities (referred to as ‘State Central Authorities’) are responsible for processing individual overseas adoption applications and assessing prospective adoptive parents to determine their suitability to adopt.

Under Australia's intercountry adoption process, prospective adoptive parents are required to apply via their relevant State Central Authority and be assessed prior to their file being sent to an overseas authority for matching with a suitable child.

For more information on Australia's intercountry adoption process, national statistics and publications, visit the links below:

• Intercountry Adoption Statistics
• Roles of the Commonwealth, States and Territories
• Legislation and Publications
• History of Intercountry Adoption in Australia

NICAAG
The National Intercountry Adoption Advisory Group (NICAAG) provides national advice to Government on intercountry adoption issues and works to ensure that the intercountry adoption community in Australia is well represented.

The establishment of NICAAG was as a result of a key recommendation the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human Services’ 2005 Report, Overseas Adoption in Australia. 

The Advisory Group does not provide support services to the intercountry adoption community.

ASIAC's representative on the NICAAG is Dr Gary Banks.

For more information on the NICAAG and its communiques, click here.