‘Don’t bother’: Fewer than five same-sex couples in Victoria approved for adoption since 2017

When Victoria changed the law to allow same-sex couples to adopt, the government heralded it as a new pathway that would allow more opportunities for children to be matched with the best possible family.

Instead, fewer than five adoptions by same-sex couples have taken place in the state since 2017.

The convener of support group Gay Dads Australia, Rodney Chiang-Cruise, is blunt about his thoughts on the issue.

"Honestly, my advice to same-sex couples seeking to adopt in Victoria has been: 'don't bother'," he tells Guardian Australia.

"The bottom line is it's almost impossible to do adoption in Victoria, even if you're a straight couple, let alone if you're gay."

The Department of Justice has confirmed there have been fewer than five placements involving same-sex couples since 2017, after the law was changed a year earlier to allow couples to adopt regardless of their sex or gender identity.

During the same period, there was an overall decline in adoption, with just 76 local and overseas adoptions occurring in the state.