KEY POINTS:
Women in "crisis" pregnancies are being encouraged to consider adopting their babies out, as latest figures show adoptions have hit a 30-year low.
The fall in adoptions has been matched by an increase in abortions, which is cited alongside the domestic purposes benefit and the acceptance of single motherhood as reasons for the drop-off.
The number of New Zealand babies adopted fell to 60 last year, after peaking at 2617 in 1968.
The trend has led to the introduction of an adoption DVD to raise the profile of adoption as an option for unwanted pregnancies.
Beth Nelson, of Child, Youth and Family, said about 300 couples were waiting to adopt.
"How long these couples wait for a child is dependent on the birth mother's priorities - often women choose adoptive parents similar to their own families as they want their child to be happy and fit in," she told The Press.
This meant prospective parents could wait indefinitely.
Statistics New Zealand figures showed the number of women terminating their pregnancies increased from 5945 in 1980 to 17,934 in 2006.
Christchurch GP Dr Hilary Cleland said women with crisis pregnancies were stressed and termination seemed like a quick solution to their situation at the time.
"With only 87 (adoptions) happening in 2006, there's going to be a huge surplus of potential adoptive families out there. A lot of them would be great parents."
The DVD was launched by the Adoption Option Trust in Christchurch last night.
- NZPA
