Canberrans now have the option to include both their biological and adoptive parents on their birth certificates.
Minister for Human Rights Tara Cheyne said that, until now, only the adoptive parents of Canberrans could feature on the certificates.
“The integrated birth certificate enables both a person’s biological and adoptive parents to feature on their birth certificate,” Minister Cheyne said.
“This change is important for adopted Canberrans as it forms part of their story, their history and their identity.
“The change follows extensive consultation with stakeholders involved in adoptions both within and connected to the ACT.”
Adoptees can apply for an Integrated Birth Certificate (IBC) if their birth was registered in the ACT and they were adopted by a family in Australia.
If a person was born overseas but adopted in the ACT, they can also apply for an integrated birth certificate to the extent that information is available to the ACT Registrar-General’s office.
The IBC is free where the adopted person has previously been issued with a post-adoption certificate.
