This week is National Adoption Awareness Week, highlighting the importance of finding permanent homes for children in need.

Across Australia there are currently 46,000 children in out-of-home care. Two thirds of those have been in care for longer than two years and have little prospect of finding a permanent home.

Adoption reform advocate Dr Jeremy Sammut talks to 4BC’s Breakfast Host Alan Jones about the urgent need for change in Australia.

“Unfortunately we’ve actually gone backwards since 2015.

“[Last year] we only had 70 adoptions nationally, and 67 of those were in New South Wales alone and just three in the other states and territories.

“So the taboo is well and truly alive, the pendulum of the system is way too far towards protecting parents rights at almost all cost, at the expense of the best interests of children.”

New South Wales is leading the charge in reforming the system, accounting for 96% of adoptions.

But why are the other states and territories falling behind?

“Child protection departments around the country simply will not terminate the parental rights of parents no matter the abuse and neglect the children have experience, no matter how slight the chance is that they will ever be able to be successfully reunited with parents. ”

“Critics argue that adoption is always about stealing children.”

Alan Jones, “If there are parents listening now and want to adopt, what do they do?”

“Well unless you’re in New South Wales your chances are virtually nil.”

Listen to the full interview below