Adoption Act 1976

1. Introductory Text

2. Part I The Adoption Service

   1. The Adoption Service

      1. 1. Establishment of Adoption Service.

      2. 2. Local authorities’ social services.

   2. Adoption societies

      1. 3. Approval of adoption societies.

      2. 4. Withdrawal of approval.

      3. 5. Procedure on refusal to approve, or withdrawal of approval from, adoption societies.

   3. Welfare of children

      1. 6. Duty to promote welfare of child.

      2. 7. Religious upbringing of adopted child.

   4. Supplemental

      1. 8. Inactive or defunct adoption societies.

      2. 9. Regulation of adoption agencies.

      3. 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      4. 11. Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing of children.

3. Part II Adoption Orders

   1. The making of adoption orders

      1. 12. Adoption orders.

      2. 13. Child to live with adopters before order made.

      3. 14. Adoption by married couple.

      4. 15. Adoption by one person.

      5. 16. Parental agreement.

      6. 17. Convention adoption orders.

   2. Freeing for adoption

      1. 18. Freeing child for adoption.

      2. 19. Progress reports to former parent.

      3. 20. Revocation of s. 18 order.

      4. 21. Variation of section 18 order so as to substitute one adoption agency for another.

   3. Supplemental

      1. 22. Notification to local authority of adoption application.

      2. 23. Reports where child placed by agency.

      3. 24. Restrictions on making adoption orders.

      4. 25. Interim orders.

      5. 26. Care etc. of child on refusal of adoption order.

4. Part III Care and Protection of Children Awaiting Adoption

   1. Restrictions on removal of children

      1. 27. Restrictions on removal where adoption agreed or application made under s. 18.

      2. 28. Restrictions on removal where applicant has provided home for 5 years.

      3. 29. Return of child taken away in breach of s. 27 or 28.

      4. 30. Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies.

      5. 31. Application of s. 30 where child not placed for adoption.

   2. Protected children

      1. 32. Meaning of “protected child”.

      2. 33. Duty of local authorities to secure well-being of protected children.

      3. 34. Removal of protected children from unsuitable surroundings.

      4. 35. Notices and information to be given to local authorities.

      5. 36. Offences relating to protected children.

      6. 37. Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children.

5. Part IV Status of Adopted Children

   1. 38. Meaning of “adoption” in Part IV.

   2. 39. Status conferred by adoption.

   3. 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   4. 41. Adoptive relatives.

   5. 42. Rules of construction for instruments concerning property.

   6. 43. Dispositions depending on date of birth.

   7. 44. Property devolving with peerages etc.

   8. 45. Protection of trustees and personal representatives.

   9. 46. Meaning of “disposition”.

   10. 47. Miscellaneous enactments.

   11. 48. Pensions.

   12. 49. Insurance.

6. Part V Registration and Revocation of Adoption Orders andConvention Adoptions

   1. 50. Adopted Children Register.

   2. 51. Disclosure of birth records of adopted children.

   3. 51A. Adoption Contact Register.

   4. 52. Revocation of adoptions on legitimation.

   5. 53. Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions.

   6. 54. Provisions supplementary to ss. 52(3) and 53.

7. Part VI Miscellaneous and Supplemental

   1. 55. Adoption of children abroad.

   2. 56. Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Great Britain.

   3. 56A. Restriction on bringing children into the United Kingdom for adoption

   4. 57. Prohibition on certain payments.

   5. 57A. Permitted allowances.

   6. 58. Restriction on advertisements.

   7. 58A. Information concerning adoption.

   8. 59. Effect of determination and orders made in Scotland and overseas in adoption proceedings.

   9. 60. Evidence of adoption in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

   10. 61. Evidence of agreement and consent.

   11. 62. Courts.

   12. 63. Appeals etc.

   13. 64. Proceedings to be in private.

   14. 65. Duties of officers of the Service

   15. 65A. Panels for selection of guardians ad litem and reporting officers.

   16. 66. Rules of procedure.

   17. 67. Orders, rules and regulations.

   18. 68. Offences by bodies corporate.

   19. 69. Services of notices etc.

   20. 70. Nationality.

   21. 71. Internal law of a country.

   22. 72. Interpretation.

   23. 73. Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals.

   24. 74. Short title, commencement and extent.

8. SCHEDULES

   1. SCHEDULE 1

      Registration of Adoptions

      1. Registration of adoption orders

         1. 1. (1) Every adoption order shall contain a direction to the...

      2. Registration of adoptions in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands

         1. 2. (1) Where the Registrar General is notified by the Registrar...

      3. Registration of overseas adoptions

         1. 3. (1) If the Registrar General is satisfied that an entry...

      4. Amendment of orders and rectification of Registers

         1. 4. (1) The court by which an adoption order has been...

      5. Marking of entries on re-registration of birth on legitimation

         1. 5. (1) Without prejudice to section 52, where, after an entry...

      6. Cancellations in Registers on legitimation

         1. 6. Where an adoption order, . . . is revoked under...

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      Transitional Provisions and Savings

      1. General

         1. 1. In so far as anything done under an enactment repealed...

         2. 2. Where any period of time specified in an enactment repealed...

         3. 3. Nothing in this Act shall affect the enactments repealed by...

         4. 4. Any reference in any document, whether express or implied, to...

      2. Existing adoption orders

         1. 5. (1) Without prejudice to paragraph 1, an adoption order made...

      3. Rights relating to property

         1. 6. (1) Section 39— (a) does not apply to an existing...

      4. Payments relating to adoptions

         1. 7. Section 57(7), (8) and (9) shall not have effect if,...

      5. Registers of adoptions

         1. 8. Any register, or index to a register kept under the...

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      Consequential Amendments

      1. Part I Amendments Extending Only to England and Wales

         1. 1—3. . . . . . . . . . ....

         2. 4. . . . . . . . . . ....

         3. 5, 6. . . . . . . . . . ....

         4. County Courts Act 1959 (c.22)

            1. 7. In section 109(2) of the County Courts Act 1959, after...

         5. Children and Young Persons Act 1963 (c.37)

            1. 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

         6. Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 (c. 46)

            1. 9. In section 64(3)(a) of the Health Services and Public Health...

            2. 10. In section 65(3)(b) of the said Act of 1968 there...

         7. Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (c. 54)

            1. 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

            2. 12, 13. . . . . . . . . . ....

            3. 14. . . . . . . . . . ....

         8. Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (c. 42)

            1. 15. In Schedule 1 to the Local Authority Social Services Act...

            2. 16. . . . . . . . . . ....

         9. Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77)

            1. 17. In section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, in the...

            2. 18. . . . . . . . . . ....

         10. Children Act 1975 (c. 72)

             1. 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

             2. 20. . . . . . . . . . ....

             3. 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

             4. 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

         11. Legitimacy Act 1976 (c. 31)

             1. 23. In section 4 of the Legitimacy Act 1976,

             2. 24. In section 6(2) of the said Act of 1976, for...

      2. Part II

         1. 25—44. . . . . . . . . . ....

   4. SCHEDULE 4

      Repeals