Abstract

Over the last six years there has been a general movement towards the refine- ment of adoption law and procedure. This has culminated in agreement between States on a number of fundamental matters such as reciprocal recognition of adoption orders. Some States have also made major changes in their legislation. The negotiations (initiated by Sir Garfield Barwick, then Federal Attorney- General) between the States and also between community groups and their respective States seemed at the time very protracted. In New South Wales, for instance, more than six years have elapsed since the first discussion between States and the implementation of regulations under the new act. There have, however, been some gains in this extended period for a number of social workers in the field of adoption and related services. They needed time to increase their knowledge of the great complexity of the field, to define more precisely their professional function in relation to others' and, in the light of this, to present their opinion on the content of proposed law and procedure. That this time should have been necessary represents one aspect of the profession's uneven deployment in areas which are generally considered "natural" to the social worker.