Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Counselling

62.—(1) Regulations may require adoption agencies to give information about the availability of counselling to persons—

(a) seeking information from them in pursuance of this group of sections;

(b) considering objecting or consenting to the disclosure of information by the agency in pursuance of this group of sections; or

(c) considering entering with the agency into an agreement prescribed for the purposes of section 56(5).

(2) Regulations may require adoption agencies to make arrangements to secure the provision of counselling for persons seeking information from them in prescribed circumstances in pursuance of this group of sections.

(3) The regulations may authorise adoption agencies—

(a) to disclose information which is required for the purposes of such counselling to the persons providing the counselling;

(b) where the person providing the counselling is outside the United Kingdom, to require a prescribed fee to be paid to an adoption agency.

(4) The regulations may require the following persons to provide counselling for the purposes of arrangements under subsection (2)—

(a) an adoption authority;

(b) an appropriate voluntary organisation.