Australians adopted fewer children in 2013-14 than any year since 1989-90.
Just 317 children were adopted last financial year, including children from overseas, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's (AIHW) Adoptions Australia 2013-14 report says.
AIHW spokesperson Tim Beard said the downward trend in adoptions may be no indication for what's to come.
"We don’t really know if this pattern of decline is going to continue," Mr Beard said.
While numbers are down on previous years, the downward trend has slowed, he said.
However, parents still make the decision to adopt.
Simone and Michael Gardoni formally adopted two year old Jack last week.
The toddler had been in the couple's permanent foster care for more than a year.
The benefits of adoption for the child were great, according to the couple.
"He's legally part of our family, as opposed to fostering," Simone said.
"We wanted to have a family of our own and bring him into being a part of it," Michael said.
Intercountry adoptions
While Australia's total number of adoptions is down 41 per cent since 1998-99, the numbers of adoptions from overseas is also down 53 per cent during that time.
Australians adopting children from overseas hit its lowest point for a decade during 2013-14.
Australians have adopted fewer children from other countries every year since 2004-05, when finalised adoptions peaked at 434, the AIHW report says.
However, the drop in adoptions from overseas for the 5 - 9 years age bracket is relatively stable.
Increasingly, Australians adopting from overseas prefer boys.
For the last three years, adoptions of boys were larger than girls, despite the decade-plus trend for greater adoptions of girls.
Concerns for children’s rights
Ensuring the rights of children in the overseas adoption process can be difficult, child rights activist Yvette Cehtel said.
“It’s not just about the wants of people to have children,” Ms Cehtel said.
“It’s about the rights of the child.”
Many developing and third world countries, like Ethiopia, did not have adequate systems for registration at birth, she said.
There is also the cultural displacement some adopted people suffer, with some feeling alienated, Ms Cehtel said.
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