Deborra-lee Furness pushes for more adoptions

By Jessica Tapp

Posted Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:25pm AEDT

Deborra-Lee Furness and husband Hugh Jackman have two adopted children. (Reuters)

Australian actor, director and producer Deborra-lee Furness has helped launch the second National Adoption Awareness Week (NAAW) in Sydney.

Furness, from Orphan Angels, and Dr Jane Aronson, the founder and chief executive of the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, both spoke at the launch.

"We want to use the week to address our politicians and lobby for policy changes that will have a huge impact on the lives of so many people who are touched by adoption," Furness said.

"By opening up the discussion, we can remind our governments of their promise when they signed the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

"We are one of the most developed nations in the world and we have one of the lowest inter-country child adoption rates. It begs the question why we're not making a greater contribution to ... inter-country adoption."

Last year there were only 270 inter-country adoptions in Australia, the lowest in the world.

Australia does not have a census on adoptions, which makes it hard to see how diverse the group is, NAAW organisers say.

Ms Furness also touched on issue of foster care.

"There are 30,000 kids in foster care now. Let's do it better," she said.

"I think there needs to be someone that's bold enough to step up and facilitate a permanent family for these children that are kept within the foster care system. Forty-five percent of homeless youth come from foster care."

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