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IAV Assessment Standard No.10
Applicant health (Cancer)
Intercountry Adoption Victoria (IAV)
1. Scope
This standard should be read in conjunction with the Intercountry Adoption Victoria (IAV) Manual and other
IAV Assessment Standards
This standard applies to all employees of IAV, contractors to IAV and applicants to the IAV at each stage of
the IAV process including application, assessment and post placement support.
2. Relevant Legislation
Section 35e of the Adoption Regulations states:
(a) the health of the applicants, including emotional, physical and mental health is suitable;
(e) the applicant’s have the capacity to provide a stable, secure and beneficial emotional and physical
environment during a child's upbringing until the child reaches social and emotional independence;
IAV is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all Intercountry children placed through the service to
ensuring that adoptive parents are fit and able to provide appropriate care through to an adopted child
reaching independence.
3. Reason for standard
According to the Cancer Council of Victoria1, cancer affects a large number of Australians, both directly and
indirectly:
 An estimated 114,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Australia in 2010.
 1 in 2 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85 years.
 Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia-more than 43,000 people are estimated to have died from
cancer in 2010.
 Nearly 15,000 more people die each year from cancer than 30 years ago; this is due mainly to population
growth and aging. However, the death rate (number of deaths per 100,000 people has fallen by 16%.
 More than 69% of cancer patients will survive more than five years after diagnosis.
 The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by 30% in the past twenty years.
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Cancer Council of Victoria website: www.cancer.org.au (date retrieved 23 April 2012).
 The most common cancers in Australia (excluding non-melanoma sin cancer) are prostrate, colorectal
(bowel), breast, melanoma and lung cancer.
 Around 434,000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma skin cancers with 448 people dying in
2007.
At least one in three cancers are made preventable by choosing a cancer smart and healthy lifestyle. More than
13,000 cancer deaths each year are due to smoking, sun exposure, poor diet, alcohol, inadequate exercise or
being overweight.
Some cancers can be detected at an early stage when treatment is likely to be more effective. Tests are
available that can detect these cancers well before any symptoms present, i.e.: Pap smear, Bowel Screening
and Mammograms
4. Requirements
This Assessment Standard outlines the expectation that all applicants to the IAV are in good health at the time of
assessment and reassessment.
Applicants must disclose at any stage of the IAV process any history of cancer diagnosis or treatment or any
current health concerns related to cancer.
4.1 Applicants who have a past or current history of cancer
IAV recognises there are many forms of cancer, some of which are considered medically cured following
successful treatment. Each case will be considered individually, in conjunction with advice from the IAV Senior
Medical Officer.
However, in the majority of cases, an applicant who has been diagnosed with a cancer must be cancer free for
a period of 5 years from the cessation of treatment, to be considered eligible to adopt a child through the IAV
program. This is to ensure that the applicant will not be affected by a return of the cancer or from a medical
condition as a result of treatment that will interfere with their ability to adequately care for a child until
independence.
Any applicant with a history of cancer will be required to provide IAV with reports from all relevant specialists
including all relevant documentation and test results regarding the type of cancer that was diagnosed. This will
need to include the stage, histology, treatment undertaken, history, follow-up and prognosis.
IAV will consult regularly with the Senior Medical Officer to ensure current medical developments in the field of
oncology are taken into consideration for opinion and recommendation which will form part of the management
decision about the suitability of the applicant to meet the adoption regulation requirements.
5. Key Responsibilities and Authorities
IAV is responsible for ensuring the overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy, review of this
policy and dissemination of this policy to staff, contractors and applicants to IAV.
6. Further Information, Resources and Support
Contact Details
 Intercountry Adoption Victoria. 20/570 Bourke Street Melbourne. Victoria 3000. Telephone 8608-5700 or
1300 769 926.
 Cancer Council Victoria www.cancervic.org.au
IAV Assessment Standard 10 Applicant Health (Cancer)
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If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, please phone (03) 8608
5700 using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required.
This document is available as a Word document on the internet at:
www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/documents-and-resources/policies,guidelines-and-legislation/intercountry-adoption-service-assessment-standards
Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
December 2015
IAV Assessment Standard 10 Applicant Health (Cancer)
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