Record number of adoptions in NSW

A record number of children in foster care in NSW have been adopted by their foster parents following an overhaul of the process.

Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward on Sunday announced that out-of-home care open adoptions had almost doubled in 2016-17 with 127 adoption orders finalised before the NSW Supreme Court.

It comes after the state government in 2016 pledged $24 million over four years for an adoption reform program, which includes a taskforce dedicated to reducing the number of outstanding adoption orders, a statement released by Ms Goward said.

She said the taskforce had worked with the Supreme Court to halve the average time of the adoption order process.

"When we started this reform journey, I wanted to ensure that children who could not stay safely with their parents would have a safe and loving home for life," Ms Goward said in a statement.

Adoption advocacy group Adopt Change said the announcement was encouraging and indicated a commitment from the government to introducing urgent reform at a time when the number of Australian children in out-of-home care is rising.

"For some of these children, adoption is the best option that unfortunately faces too many barriers," Adopt Change chief executive Renee Carter said in a statement.