Concerns raised over child safety report's adoption recommendations

An inquiry into child safety found the system often failed to address the wellbeing and best interests of children in state care. (ABC News)

Advocates have raised concerns over the Queensland Child Safety Commission of Inquiry's recommendation to elevate adoption as a permanency option for children of all cultures and ethnicities.

Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive Katherine Hayes has urged the government to begin reforming the department, saying it will be "like turning around an ocean liner".

The state government is considering the 52 recommendations made by the inquiry in its report.

There is "no way" to separate the adoption of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from the history of the Stolen Generation, an advocate says, after an inquiry recommended it be prioritised for children in the state's care.

Queensland's Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety report, released by the state government on Wednesday, found the availability of adoption should "not be limited by cultural background or ethnicity".

"The Commission notes the strong submissions from First Nations stakeholders against adoption, however, it considers it would be inappropriate to exclude one cohort of children in out-of-home care from this option," the report states.

The 1,300-page report made 52 recommendations, with a focus on shifting away from the state's reliance on residential care to family-based care.

The inquiry, led by Paul Anastassiou KC, found no child has been adopted from state care in Queensland since 2019.

A report by Queensland's Commission of Inquiry has made 52 recommendations ranging from overhauling out-of-home care to adoption access.

Its recommendations include amending the Child Protection Act to entrench adoption as the third permanency option for all children, regardless of cultural background.

The commission also recommended the government start a feasibility study within six months to assess how to deliver "simple open adoption" for appropriate children in out-of-home care.

The report notes contemporary adoption operates in a "fundamentally different legal and ethical framework" than past practices, and it is characterised by openness, judicial oversight, and a "focus on the child's best interest".

But Debbie Kilroy, chief executive of Sisters Inside, an Aboriginal-led organisation advocating for the human rights of women and girls in prison and their families, said elevating adoption in the permanency hierarchy would risk "repeating history".

"There is no way to separate adoption from the history of stolen generations," she said