A federal parliamentary committee report tabled Monday was one of the last acts by Julia Banks before she sensationally quit the Liberal Party for the crossbench.

She said there are over 47,000 Australian children in out-of-home care but only 250 were adopted last year.

“While many are with relatives or kin, there are far too many who are stuck in long-term foster care or residential care,” she said.

Ms Banks called for a national law to end delays caused by inconsistencies between states and emphasised the need for ‘open adoptions’ where appropriate, including pushing for birth certificates noting both adoptive and birth parents. 

She said open adoption practices were needed to combat negative perceptions about historically secretive processes.

Anglicare Victoria CEO Paul McDonald welcomed debate encouraging adoption but said there was no silver bullet.

“There’s a number of reasons why the adoption demand is as low as it is,” he said, among them newer options for infertile couples hoping for children.

Anglicare Victoria had helped some people in Bendigo who had chosen to give up children for adoption.

“It could be for a range of reasons only the parent knows,” Mr McDonald said.

“It doesn’t happen often, but when it does there is a pathway.”

Currently, the service has 90 children living out-of-home who would be good candidates for more permanent options. But many parents hoping to adopt were seeking babies, not older children.

Much of the push for more adoptions was coming out of New South Wales, Mr McDonald said. Victoria already had 3000 children classed as living in ‘permanent care’, even if they had not been legally adopted.

“The kids still see their carers as ‘mum and dad’. They can maintain their birth name. The relationship can continue, if appropriate, with their natural family,” he said.

“We think that system works well for the complexities that sit around out-of-home-care.”

Related: Number of Indigenous children in child protection escalates

Mr McDonald encouraged federal politicians to consider ways to tackle rising numbers of children entering short-term care.

“We are up around 55,000. Half of those children are returning home within six months of coming into care,” he said.

“Maybe you don’t have to remove them in the first place if we have the right supports going to the family, like getting parents back into a good routine and getting children safe and thriving.”

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