Behind every foster care statistic is a child who may be crying themselves to sleep at night because they don't know where they're going next, says adoption campaigner Renee Carter.
A stadium full of children - almost 50,000 - live in out-of-home care arrangements across Australia, many for two years or more.
A new campaign has been launched on Thursday in a bid to encourage Australians to advocate for adoption and out-of-home care reform.
Ms Carter, the chief executive of Adopt Change, says not every child in out-of-home care should be adopted but they do need a system that provides more security.
On average, children will remain within the home care system for 12 years, with 40 per cent experiencing between two and 10 placements and some relocating up to 70 times.
"Instability is really damaging for children," she told AAP.
A third of children become homeless in the first year they exit the foster care system, with many suffering mental health problems and addictions, she said.
Despite current practices, Ms Carter said a narrative of forced adoptions in Australia remains.
"Because of past practices, where there was absolute unforgivable damage done with forced adoptions and a lot of secrecy," she said.
"What we're doing now is something quite different."
Adopt Change founder and actress Deborra-lee Furness, who has two adopted children with husband Hugh Jackman, says Australian bureaucracy is the biggest obstacle to change, along with an anti-adoption culture.
"Every minute counts in these children's lives," she told AAP.
"I hope to see a reinvigorated community inspired to find solutions for vulnerable children."
The actress has urged the public to tell politicians why action matters and join in the November campaign.
Ms Carter said the campaign was named "A Home for Every Child", partly because it was important to recognise adoption was not the only answer.
Where possible, children should be with their families of origin or kin but if it's known that will not be possible, then permanent care should be the next step, she said.
Permanency care orders, or guardianship, is another option offered by many states but its take up is hindered by "red tape", Ms Carter said.
Unlike adoption, which is lifelong, in guardianship arrangements, the parental rights of the carer end when the child turns 18 and if the carer dies, the child goes back into the system. Additionally, the child doesn't legally inherit from their adoptive parents.
"We're still pushing to make sure permanency is a priority" she said.
Progress has been slow in Australia but signs of improvement are emerging, such as an increase in adoptions last year to 315 (both domestic and inter-country).
In August, a bipartisan group of MPs formed the Parliamentary Friends of Adoption to work alongside Adopt Change.
In NSW, new laws were introduced into parliament last week to streamline the adoption process and ensure children do not spend longer than two years in foster care.
Australian Associated Press
