68Supervision of certain adopted children

68 Supervision of certain adopted children S. 68(1) amended by No. 46/1998 (1) Subject to this section, where— (a) a child is adopted in a country, other than New Zealand, outside the Commonwealth and the Territories, whether or not the adoption is an adoption that has, under this Act, the same effect as an adoption order under this Act; (b) the adoption in relation to the child has been in force for a period not exceeding twelve months; (c) neither of the adoptive parents of the child was or, where there is only one adoptive parent, that parent was not, at the time of the making of the order of adoption with respect to the child a national or citizen of the country in which the order was made; and (d) the child is present in Victoria— the Secretary may supervise the welfare and interests of the child for a period not exceeding six months commencing on the date of the arrival of the child in Victoria and any person authorized in writing by the Secretary for that purpose has a right of access to the child at all reasonable times during that period. S. 68(2) amended by No. 46/1998 (2) Where a child whose welfare and interests may be supervised by the Secretary under subsection (1) has, after being adopted but before arriving in Victoria, been resident in any other State or in a Territory or in New Zealand, the period during which the child is subject to the supervision of the Secretary is reduced proportionately to the period of such residence in that other State or Territory or in New Zealand. S. 68(3) amended by No. 46/1998 (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Secretary may, in the discretion of the Secretary, exempt any child to whom the provisions of that subsection would otherwise apply from the provisions of that subsection. S. 68(4) amended by No. 46/1998 (4) Where either or both of the adoptive parents of the child or, where there is only one adoptive parent, that parent, was not, before the child was adopted, approved by the Secretary or the principal officer of an approved agency as a person suitable to be an adoptive parent of a child under the law of a country, other than New Zealand, outside the Commonwealth and the Territories, the reference in subsection (1) to a period not exceeding six months shall be read as a reference to a period not exceeding twelve months. S. 68(5) amended by No. 46/1998 (5) Where the Secretary supervises the welfare and interests of a child under this section, the Secretary may require payment by the adoptive parents or adoptive parent of the child of a fee not exceeding the amount prescribed for the purposes of this section. No. 7147 s. 43.