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Adoption Act 1976

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally enacted).

  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.Inspection of books, etc., of approved adoption societies

      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.Transfer of parental rights and duties between adoption agencies

    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.Citizenship

    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, 48. Pensions

    11. 48.Section 39(2) does not affect entitlement to a pension which...

    12. 49.Insurance

  6. PART V Registration and Revocation of Adoption Orders and Convention Adoptions

    1. 50.Adopted Children Register

    2. 51.Disclosure of birth records of adopted children

    3. 52.Revocation of adoptions on legitimation

    4. 53.Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions

    5. 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. 57.Prohibition on certain payments

    4. 58.Restriction on advertisements

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

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

    7. 61.Evidence of agreement and consent

    8. 62.Courts

    9. 63.Appeals etc.

    10. 64.Hearing of applications in private

    11. 65.Guardians ad litem and reporting officers

    12. 66.Rules of procedure

    13. 67.Orders, rules and regulations

    14. 68.Offences by bodies corporate

    15. 69.Service of notices etc.

    16. 70.Nationality

    17. 71.Internal law of a country

    18. 72.Interpretation

    19. 73.Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals,

    20. 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.If the Registrar General is satisfied that an entry in...

      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, other than a Convention adoption order,...

    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. Children Act 1948 (c. 43)

          1. 1.In section 2 of the Children Act 1948—

          2. 2.In section 43(1) of the said Act of 1948, for...

          3. 3.In section 51(1) of the said Act of 1948, for...

        2. Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 (c. 55)

          1. 4.In section 56(1) of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952, for...

        3. Children Act 1958 (c. 65)

          1. 5.In section 2(4A) of the Children Act 1958, for the...

          2. 6.In section 6(1) of the said Act of 1958, in...

        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.In section 23(1)(c) of the Children and Young Persons Act...

        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.In section 21A of the Children and Young Persons Act...

          2. 12.In section 58(1) of the said Act 1969—

          3. 13.In section 63(6) of the said Act of 1969 at...

        8. Administration of Justice Act 1970 (c. 31)

          1. 14.In Schedule 1 to the Administration of Justice Act 1970...

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

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

        10. Guardianship of Minors Act 1971 (c. 3)

          1. 16.In section 9(6) of the Guardianship of Minors Act 1971,...

        11. Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77)

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

        12. Legal Aid Act 1974 (c. 4)

          1. 18.In Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid Act 1974 in...

        13. Children Act 1975 (c. 72)

          1. 19.In section 37(1) of the Children Act 1975 for the...

          2. 20.In section 60(6) of the said Act of 1975 after...

          3. 21.In section 98(1)(b) of the said Act of 1975 at...

          4. 22.In section 103(1)(a) of the said Act of 1975 for...

        14. 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 Amendments Extending Only to Scotland

        1. Children Act 1958 (6 & 7 Eliz. 2 c. 65)

          1. 25.In section 2(4A) of the Children Act 1958, after the...

          2. 26.In section 6(1) of the said Act of 1958, in...

        2. Adoption Act 1958 (7 & 8 Eliz. 2 c. 5)

          1. 27.In section 22(4A) of the Adoption Act 1958, in paragraph...

          2. 28.In section 29(2) of the said Act of 1958 after...

          3. 29.In section 34 of the said Act of 1958 the...

          4. 30.In section 34A of the said Act of 1958 the...

          5. 31.In section 37 of the said Act of 1958, the...

          6. 32.In section 52(1) of the said Act of 1958, after...

          7. 33.In section 57 of the said Act of 1958 the...

        3. Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c. 49)

          1. 34.In section 16(3) and (11)(b) of the Social Work (Scotland)...

        4. Adoption Act 1968 (c. 53)

          1. 35.In section 6 of the Adoption Act 1968 the following...

          2. 36.In section 11(1) of the said Act of 1968, in...

        5. Children Act 1975 (c. 72)

          1. 37.In section 8(3) of the Children Act 1975, for the...

          2. 38.In section 12(1) of the said Act of 1975, after...

          3. 39.In section 16(3)(c) after the words " section 8(3)(b) "...

          4. 40.In section 23 of the said Act of 1975, after...

          5. 41.In section 25(4) of the said Act of 1975 after...

          6. 42.In section 100(9)(a)(ii) after the words " section 14 "...

          7. 43.In section 107 of the said Act of 1975—

          8. 44.In paragraph 7 of Schedule 2 to the said Act...

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      Repeals

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