Thanks heaps,

Thats where the problem starts, we dont know her side of the family at all. Being from the pacific islands there probably is extended family that could look after the child but both parents can see that there is more oppurtunity for the child here or in NZ.

I tried to read the adoption laws that are downloadable from the immigration site , but i think you need to be a lawyer to even understand what they are on about, On one hand they say we can adopt with no worries if one of the adoptive parents is an australian citizen, which one is, but then they say that we cant unless we live overseas for at least 12 months first.

We dont want to shell out heaps of cash for a lawyer only to be told that there is no way at all to do this.
The other thing i thought of was to have us put on the birth certificate as the natural parents, and not the actual parents. Is this legal at all??????? it would make it so much easier.

Thanks again for the help. As i said before, why do they have to make it so hard, all we want to do is help out a family member and give a child a good life!!!!!

cheers all, stay safe.