<P> The Australian Government Attorney - General's Department has primary responsibility for developing and maintaining intercountry adoption arrangements with other countries . This responsibility is shared with the State and Territory authorities, which assess applications, facilitate adoptions, provide advice and assistance, and provide post-placement support and supervision . Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements set by the Australian State or Territory in which the application is being lodged, as well as the eligibility criteria of the overseas country of the adoptive child . Intercountry adoption can be a lengthy process, usually taking at least two years in Australia, requiring multiple assessments of the continued suitability of prospective parents . </P> <P> Intercountry adoption practices are in accordance with the principles of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, which came into force in Australia on 1 December 1998 . As at August 2009, Australia had open adoption programs with Bolivia, Chile, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Lithuania, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand . Most of the countries with which Australia has direct adoption programs are also parties to the Hague Adoption Convention, the exceptions being Hong Kong, Ethiopia and Taiwan . Countries with which adoption programs have closed include Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Romania . In 2012, Australia closed the adoption program with Ethiopia . It did so at a time when no Ethiopian children would be disadvantaged as no Ethiopian children were available for adoption by Australian parents . </P> <P> There has been a substantial decline in the number of adoptions in Australia since the early 1970s . In 1971 / 72 there were 9,798 adoptions, which declined to 1,052 in 1991 / 92, and 576 in 2005 / 06 . </P> <P> A report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics attributes this decline to the introduction of welfare for single mothers, increased legal access to termination of pregnancy, family planning services, access to child care and improved participation of women in the workforce . Forced adoption of tens of thousands of Aboriginals and the children of single mothers continued until the early 1980s . </P>

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