Adoption and Children Act 2002

1. Introductory Text

2. Part 1 Adoption

   1. Chapter 1 Introductory

      1. 1. Considerations applying to the exercise of powers

   2. Chapter 2 The Adoption Service

      1. The Adoption Service

         1. 2. Basic definitions

         2. 3. Maintenance of Adoption Service

         3. 4. Assessments etc. for adoption support services

         4. 5. Local authority plans for adoption services

         5. 6. Arrangements on cancellation of registration

         6. 7. Inactive or defunct adoption societies etc.

         7. 8. Adoption support agencies

      2. Regulations

         1. 9. General power to regulate adoption etc. agencies

         2. 10. Management etc. of agencies

         3. 11. Fees

         4. 12. Independent review of determinations

      3. Supplemental

         1. 13. Information concerning adoption

         2. 14. Default power of appropriate Minister

         3. 15. Inspection of premises etc.

         4. 16. Distribution of functions in relation to registered adoption societies

         5. 17. Inquiries

   3. Chapter 3 Placement for adoption and adoption orders

      1. Placement of children by adoption agency for adoption

         1. 18. Placement for adoption by agencies

         2. 19. Placing children with parental consent

         3. 20. Advance consent to adoption

         4. 21. Placement orders

         5. 22. Applications for placement orders

         6. 23. Varying placement orders

         7. 24. Revoking placement orders

         8. 25. Parental responsibility

         9. 26. Contact

         10. 27. Contact: supplementary

         11. 28. Further consequences of placement

         12. 29. Further consequences of placement orders

      2. Removal of children who are or may be placed by adoption agencies

         1. 30. General prohibitions on removal

         2. 31. Recovery by parent etc. where child not placed or is a baby

         3. 32. Recovery by parent etc. where child placed and consent withdrawn

         4. 33. Recovery by parent etc. where child placed and placement order refused

         5. 34. Placement orders: prohibition on removal

         6. 35. Return of child in other cases

      3. Removal of children in non-agency cases

         1. 36. Restrictions on removal

         2. 37. Applicants for adoption

         3. 38. Local authority foster parents

         4. 39. Partners of parents

         5. 40. Other non-agency cases

      4. Breach of restrictions on removal

         1. 41. Recovery orders

      5. Preliminaries to adoption

         1. 42. Child to live with adopters before application

         2. 43. Reports where child placed by agency

         3. 44. Notice of intention to adopt

         4. 45. Suitability of adopters

      6. The making of adoption orders

         1. 46. Adoption orders

         2. 47. Conditions for making adoption orders

         3. 48. Restrictions on making adoption orders

         4. 49. Applications for adoption

         5. 50. Adoption by couple

         6. 51. Adoption by one person

      7. Placement and adoption: general

         1. 52. Parental etc. consent

         2. 53. Modification of 1989 Act in relation to adoption

         3. 54. Disclosing information during adoption process

         4. 55. Revocation of adoptions on legitimation

      8. Disclosure of information in relation to a person’s adoption

         1. 56. Information to be kept about a person’s adoption

         2. 57. Restrictions on disclosure of protected etc. information

         3. 58. Disclosure of other information

         4. 59. Offence

         5. 60. Disclosing information to adopted adult

         6. 61. Disclosing protected information about adults

         7. 62. Disclosing protected information about children

         8. 63. Counselling

         9. 64. Other provision to be made by regulations

         10. 65. Sections 56 to 65: interpretation

   4. Chapter 4 Status of Adopted Children

      1. 66. Meaning of adoption in Chapter 4

      2. 67. Status conferred by adoption

      3. 68. Adoptive relatives

      4. 69. Rules of interpretation for instruments concerning property

      5. 70. Dispositions depending on date of birth

      6. 71. Property devolving with peerages etc.

      7. 72. Protection of trustees and personal representatives

      8. 73. Meaning of disposition

      9. 74. Miscellaneous enactments

      10. 75. Pensions

      11. 76. Insurance

   5. Chapter 5 The Registers

      1. Adopted Children Register etc.

         1. 77. Adopted Children Register

         2. 78. Searches and copies

         3. 79. Connections between the register and birth records

      2. Adoption Contact Register

         1. 80. Adoption Contact Register

         2. 81. Adoption Contact Register: supplementary

      3. General

         1. 82. Interpretation

   6. Chapter 6 Adoptions with a foreign element

      1. Bringing children into and out of the United Kingdom

         1. 83. Restriction on bringing children in

         2. 84. Giving parental responsibility prior to adoption abroad

         3. 85. Restriction on taking children out

         4. 86. Power to modify sections 83 and 85

      2. Overseas adoptions

         1. 87. Overseas adoptions

      3. Miscellaneous

         1. 88. Modification of section 67 for Hague Convention adoptions

         2. 89. Annulment etc. of overseas or Hague Convention adoptions

         3. 90. Section 89: supplementary

         4. 91. Overseas determinations and orders

   7. Chapter 7 Miscellaneous

      1. Restrictions

         1. 92. Restriction on arranging adoptions etc.

         2. 93. Offence of breaching restrictions under section 92

         3. 94. Restriction on reports

         4. 95. Prohibition of certain payments

         5. 96. Excepted payments

         6. 97. Sections 92 to 96: interpretation

      2. Information

         1. 98. Pre-commencement adoptions: information

      3. Proceedings

         1. 99. Proceedings for offences

         2. 100. Appeals

         3. 101. Privacy

      4. The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

         1. 102. Officers of the Service

         2. 103. Right of officers of the Service to have access to adoption agency records

      5. Evidence

         1. 104. Evidence of consent

      6. Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Islands

         1. 105. Effect of certain Scottish orders and provisions

         2. 106. Effect of certain Northern Irish orders and provisions

         3. 107. Use of adoption records from other parts of the British Islands

         4. 108. Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

      7. General

         1. 109. Avoiding delay

         2. 110. Service of notices etc.

3. Part 2 Amendments of the Children Act 1989

   1. 111. Parental responsibility of unmarried father

   2. 112. Acquisition of parental responsibility by step-parent

   3. 113. Section 8 orders: local authority foster parents

   4. 114. Residence orders: extension to age of 18

   5. 115. Special guardianship

   6. 116. Accommodation of children in need etc.

   7. 117. Inquiries by local authorities into representations

   8. 118. Review of cases of looked after children

   9. 119. Advocacy services

   10. 120. Meaning of “harm” in the 1989 Act

   11. 121. Care plans

   12. 122. Interests of children in proceedings

4. Part 3 Miscellaneous and final provisions

   1. Chapter 1 Miscellaneous

      1. Advertisements in the United Kingdom

         1. 123. Restriction on advertisements etc.

         2. 124. Offence of breaching restriction under section 123

      2. Adoption and Children Act Register

         1. 125. Adoption and Children Act Register

         2. 126. Use of an organisation to establish the register

         3. 127. Use of an organisation as agency for payments

         4. 128. Supply of information for the register

         5. 129. Disclosure of information

         6. 130. Territorial application

         7. 131. Supplementary

      3. Other miscellaneous provisions

         1. 132. Amendment of Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978: contravention of sections 30 to 36 of this Act

         2. 133. Scottish restriction on bringing children into or out of United Kingdom

         3. 134. Amendment of Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978: overseas adoptions

         4. 135. Adoption and fostering: criminal records

         5. 136. Payment of grants in connection with welfare services

         6. 137. Extension of the Hague Convention to British overseas territories

         7. 138. Proceedings in Great Britain

      4. Amendments etc.

         1. 139. Amendments, transitional and transitory provisions, savings and repeals

   2. Chapter 2 Final provisions

      1. 140. Orders, rules and regulations

      2. 141. Rules of procedure

      3. 142. Supplementary and consequential provision

      4. 143. Offences by bodies corporate and unincorporated bodies

      5. 144. General interpretation etc.

      6. 145. Devolution: Wales

      7. 146. Expenses

      8. 147. Glossary

      9. 148. Commencement

      10. 149. Extent

      11. 150. Short title

5. 1. Schedule 1

      Registration of adoptions

   2. Schedule 2

      Disclosure of birth records by Registrar General

   3. Schedule 3

      Minor and consequential amendments

   4. Schedule 4

      Transitional and transitory provisions and savings

   5. Schedule 5

      Repeals

   6. Schedule 6

      Glossary