Under the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) s30, the stepparent must have lived with the child and the natural/adoptive parent for more than how many years?

• A. More than 1 year
• B. More than 3 years
• C. More than 5 years
• D. More than 2 years

Answer: (D)

The key idea is the amount of time the stepparent has lived with the child and the other parent, showing a stable, ongoing parental role. Under the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) s30, the requirement is that the stepparent has lived with the child and the natural/adoptive parent for more than two years. This threshold helps demonstrate a settled family environment and continuity of care, which the court weighs when deciding if an adoption is in the child’s best interests. Any period longer than two years qualifies, while a period of two years or less would not meet the threshold.