Adoption and Children Act 2002 Explanatory Notes

Commentary on Sections

Part 2 – Amendments of the Children Act 1989

Section 112: Acquisition of parental responsibility by step-parent

268.Section 112 inserts section 4A into the Children Act 1989 to enable a step-parent to acquire parental responsibility for a child of his spouse. This may be acquired either by agreement between the step-parent and the parents who have parental responsibility for the child, or by order of the court. This measure is intended to provide an alternative to adoption where a step-parent wishes to acquire parental responsibility for his or her step-child. It has the advantage of not removing parental responsibility from the other birth parent and does not legally separate the child from membership of the family of the other birth parent.

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