This multi-stage research project began in 2024 when Dr Inez Fainga'a-Manusione and Dr Ruth (Lute) Faleolo were commissioned to prepare an Expert Cultural Report on Pacific Cultural Adoptions for the Australian Family Court, Attorney-General’s Department (AGD). Drawing on Pacific cultural expertise, Indigenous knowledge holders, Pacific research methodologies, and legal precedent, the report provided cultural guidance on Samoan and Tongan customary adoption practices and their implications for determining the best interests of a Pacific child within the Australian legal system.

Building on this foundational work, the research was translated into a policy-focused publication, "Between the Lines: Pacific Cultural Adoptions in Australia," authored by Dr Hai-Yuean Tualima, Dr Inez Fainga'a-Manusione, and Dr Ruth Faleolo and published as an Australian National University (ANU) Development Policy Centre In Brief. The policy brief highlighted the growing need for culturally responsive approaches to Pacific cultural adoption cases in Australia and drew attention to the intersection of Pacific customary practices and Western legal frameworks. DOI: 10.25911/S5G3-QA44

The project has now entered its third stage through the development of a book for Lived Places Publishing (LPP), co-authored by Dr Inez Fainga'a-Manusione, Dr Hai-Yuean Tualima, and Dr Ruth Faleolo. Expanding on the expert report and policy brief, the book will provide a comprehensive resource for legal practitioners, child protection professionals, policymakers, researchers, and community organisations working with Pacific families. It aims to strengthen understanding of Samoan and Tongan customary adoption practices in Australia, offering culturally informed guidance that bridges Pacific worldviews, family law, and child wellbeing. Authors Fainga’a-Manusione, Tualima and Faleolo are currently working on this manuscript due for submission to LPP in 2027.