Written submissions to the investigation

Adoptees or adoptive parents can fill out this form to tell the investigation about their experiences.

Privacy

This privacy notice relates to the Department of Social Services’ collection of your personal information as part of the Investigation into historical intercountry adoption practices between the Republic of Korea and Australia (1964–1999) (Investigation), led by Robert Cook.

We recognise that telling us about your experiences may be difficult. Taking part in the Investigation is your choice.

If you make a submission, we will use the information to help understand people's experiences and what happened in the past. We will use this information to prepare findings and reports. We can only consider your experiences if you make a submission.

You can make a submission using your name, another name (a pseudonym), or no name (anonymously). If you identify yourself, the Department will collect your personal information.

The Department may share your information with Robert Cook and other organisations assisting with the Investigation (the Investigation Team). We will not include your personal information in any findings or reports.

In your submission, please do not share personal or sensitive information about other people. This could include your adoptive parents or, if you are an adoptive parent, your adoptive child. If you include this information, we will remove it before the lead investigator or auditors consider it. We will then destroy your original submission and keep the redacted version.

To learn more about how the Department manages personal information as part of the Investigation, see our full privacy notice and the Department’s Privacy Policy.

Consent

I confirm that I have read and understood the full privacy collection notice
I am aware that I can access more information about the Investigation, including the Terms of Reference, on the Investigation website
I consent to the Department of Social Services collecting, using and disclosing my personal and sensitive information for the purposes of the Investigation into Historical Intercountry Adoption Practices Between the Republic of Korea and Australia (1964–1999)
This includes any information I provide about my racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs and my health.
I acknowledge that I do not have to provide my information or this consent
I consent to the Department or the Investigation Team contacting me about my submission
I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy

Withdrawing consent

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting the Department at ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au.
If you withdraw your consent, the Department will not collect further information from or about you and, where possible, will stop using your information for the Investigation. Information already included in the Investigation's analysis, findings or reports may not be able to be removed.

I understand how to withdraw my consent and the effect of withdrawing consent

Your submission

Would you like to make an anonymous submission?

Note if you choose to make an anonymous submission, you will still need to confirm that your (or your child's) adoption occurred from the ROK to Australia between 1964 and 1999. If you choose to make an anonymous submission, the lead investigator will not be able to refer to your submissions when reviewing your file or during your interview, if you participate in these other methods of engagement.

I agree to the Department, or the lead investigator, contacting me about my submission.

Eligibility questions

Were you adopted from the Republic of Korea to Australia?
Are you the adoptive parent of a person who was adopted from the Republic of Korea to Australia?

You are not eligible as your experience falls out of scope for this submission - if you would like to share your relevant knowledge or experiences, please provide a written statement directly to ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au. Please do not provide third party personal or sensitive information. 

Did your adoption occur between the years 1964 to 1999?

This Investigation is seeking information about adoptions that occurred from the ROK to Australia between 1964 and 1999. View Investigation into historic Republic of Korea–Australia intercountry adoptions for more information. If you would like to share your relevant knowledge or experiences, please provide a written statement directly to ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au. Please do not provide third party personal or sensitive information.

Circumstances of your adoption

Do you have a copy of your adoption file?
An adoption file is a set of documents detailing your adoption, usually received from the Australian state or territory government in which the adoption occurred. The contents of an adoption file may differ by jurisdiction, but usually includes birth and family documents from the Republic of Korea, adoptive parent assessments, and legal documents relating to the finalisation of the adoption in Australia.
Have you, or do you plan to, provide a copy of your adoption file to the Investigation, or request that it be inspected if your adoption took place in Victoria?
Do you consent to the Investigation cross-referencing your adoption file with your submission?
Have you identified inconsistencies, inaccuracies or missing information in your adoption records?

For example, you may be aware of a mismatch between stories your adoptive parents told you and information you later found through other sources, such as ROK adoption agencies, birth family searches, or other evidence.

Are you aware, or do you have a suspicion, that your adoption file includes falsified information?

For example, a common falsehood is that adoptees were orphans although the adoption files includes the names of birth parents and information to indicate they are still alive (such as an initial social history saying that the child was relinquished rather than becoming an orphan due to birth parents being deceased).

Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your adoption from the ROK to Australia?

For example, record requests or enquiries, adoptive family assessment or approval, information provided about your Korean birth family, or responses to concerns raised with the relevant state or territory authority responsible for intercountry adoption.

Have any concerns about your adoption records, identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?
Do you have concerns or suspicions about inconsistencies or the falsification of information relating to your adoption?
For example, you may be aware of a mismatch between stories your adoptive parents told you and information you later found through other sources, such as ROK adoption agencies, birth family searches, or other evidence.
Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your adoption from the ROK to Australia?
For example, record requests or enquiries, adoptive family assessment or approval, information provided about your Korean birth family, or responses to concerns raised with the relevant state or territory authority responsible for intercountry adoption.
Have any concerns about your identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?

NSW legislation has strict provisions that prevent you sharing information that is found within your adoption file. If you have access to your adoption file, please do not include information found within that file in your responses to the following questions.

You can provide information about your personal adoption experiences, knowledge or recollections but will not be able to specifically identify any details, such as the contents of any documents that were included in your adoption file.

If you have questions, please contact the Department of Social Services at ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au. 

Do you have concerns or suspicions about inconsistencies or the falsification of information relating to your adoption?
For example, you may be aware of a mismatch between stories your adoptive parents told you and information you later found through other sources, such as ROK adoption agencies, birth family searches, or other evidence.
Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your adoption from the ROK to Australia?
For example, record requests or enquiries, adoptive family assessment or approval, information provided about your Korean birth family, or responses to concerns raised with the relevant state or territory authority responsible for intercountry adoption.
Have any concerns about your identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?
Was your child’s adoption finalised between the years 1964 to 1999?

You are not eligible as your child’s adoption falls out of scope - if you would like to participate, please provide a written statement directly to ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au. Please do not provide third party personal or sensitive information. 

Do you have a copy of your child’s adoption file?
An adoption file is a set of documents detailing your child’s adoption, usually received from the Australian state or territory government in which the adoption occurred. The contents of an adoption file may differ by jurisdiction, but usually includes birth and family documents from the Republic of Korea, adoptive parent assessments, and legal documents relating to the finalization of the adoption in Australia.
Have you identified inconsistencies, inaccuracies or missing information in your child’s adoption records?
For example, you may be aware of a contradiction between stories in your child’s adoption file and information you’ve received from other sources (such as documents or correspondence you hold from the time of the adoption, information found in your child’s birth family searches, etc.).
Are you aware, or have a suspicion, that your child’s adoption file includes falsified information?
For example, a common falsehood is that adoptees were orphans although the adoption files includes the names of birth parents and information to indicate they are still alive (such as an initial social history saying that the child was relinquished rather than becoming an orphan due to birth parents being deceased).
Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your child’s adoption from the ROK to Australia?
For example, insufficient action by Australian authorities to examine inconsistencies in your child’s file, failure to manage the adoption in accordance with your child’s best interests, etc.
Have any concerns about your child’s adoption, identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?
Do you have concerns or suspicions about inconsistencies or the falsification of information relating to your child’s adoption?
For example, you may be aware of a mismatch between stories told to you by Australian officials and ROK adoption agencies, or information you later found through other sources, such as ROK adoption agencies, birth family searches, or other evidence.
Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your child’s adoption from the ROK to Australia?
For example, record requests or enquiries, adoptive family assessment or approval, information provided about your child’s Korean birth family, or responses to concerns raised with the relevant state or territory authority responsible for intercountry adoption.
Have any concerns about your child’s adoption, identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?

NSW legislation has strict provisions that prevent you sharing information that is found within your child’s adoption file. If you have access to your child’s adoption file, please do not include information – including any references to documents found within that file – in your responses to the following questions.

If you have questions, please contact the Department at ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au.

Do you have concerns or suspicions about inconsistencies or the falsification of information relating to your child’s adoption?
For example, you may be aware of a mismatch between stories told to you by Australian officials and ROK adoption agencies, or information you later found through other sources, such as ROK adoption agencies, birth family searches, or other evidence.
Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your child’s adoption from the ROK to Australia?
For example, record requests or enquiries, adoptive family assessment or approval, information provided about your child’s Korean birth family, or responses to concerns raised with the relevant state or territory authority responsible for intercountry adoption.
Have any concerns about your child’s adoption, identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?

Note that NSW legislation has strict provisions that prevent you sharing information that is found within your adoption file. As you have indicated you do not know the state or territory in which your adoption was finalised, if you have access to your adoption file, please do not include information found within that file in your responses to the following questions.

You can provide information about your personal adoption experiences, knowledge or recollections but will not be able to specifically identify any details, such as the contents of any documents that were included in your adoption file.

If you have questions, please contact the Department of Social Services at ICAInvestigation@dss.gov.au. 

Do you have concerns or suspicions about inconsistencies or the falsification of information relating to your adoption?
For example, you may be aware of a mismatch between stories your adoptive parents told you and information you later found through other sources, such as ROK adoption agencies, birth family searches, or other evidence.
Do you have concerns about the conduct of Australian authorities in relation to your adoption from the ROK to Australia?
For example, record requests or enquiries, adoptive family assessment or approval, information provided about your Korean birth family, or responses to concerns raised with the relevant state or territory authority responsible for intercountry adoption.
Have any concerns about your identity, family history, or the adoption process had an ongoing impact on you?

We recommend you draft your responses in an offline text editor or Word document. A 'Save Draft' feature is available, but system timeouts or local connection dropouts can cause data loss. We strongly recommend keeping a separate copy of your final text, even after you receive confirmation of your submission.

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DSS5312 | Permalink: www.dss.gov.au/node/5312