Interpretation
2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 2002 Act” (“Deddf 2002”) means the Adoption and Children Act 2002;
“the 1983 Regulations” (“Rheoliadau 1983”) means the Adoption Agencies Regulations 1983(1)
“adoption agency” (“asiantaeth fabwysiadu”) has the same meaning as in the Adoption Act 1976(2);
“adoption support services” (“gwasanaethau cymorth mabwysiadu”) is to be construed in accordance with regulation 3(1);
“adoption support services user” (“defnyddiwr gwasanaethau cymorth mabwysiadu”) means a person specified in the Schedule ;
“adoptive family” (“teulu mabwysiadol”) means an adoptive child, the adoptive parent of the adoptive child and any child of the adoptive parent and references to the adoptive family of, or in relation to, a person is to be construed as the adoptive family of which that person is a member;
“adoptive parent” (“rhiant mabwysiadol”) means a person —
who an adoption agency has decided in accordance with regulation 11(1) of the 1983 Regulations would be a suitable adoptive parent for a particular child;
with whom an adoption agency has placed a child for adoption;
who has given notice under section 22(1) of the Adoption Act 1976 of his or her intention to apply for an adoption order for a child; or
who has adopted a child,
but does not include a person where the child is no longer a child, or where the person is the step-parent or natural parent of the child, or was the step-parent of the child before he or she adopted the child;
“child tax credit” (“credyd treth plant”) has the same meaning as in the Tax Credits Act 2002(3);
“a child who is looked after” (“plentyn sy'n derbyn gofal”) has the same meaning as in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989(4);
“notify” (“hysbysu”) means notify in writing.
(2) In these Regulations—
(a)subject to paragraph (b), “adoptive child” means a child who has been, or may be, adopted;
(b)references to a person’s adoptive child are to a child other than the person’s stepchild, who has been, or may be, adopted by that person.
(3) In regulations 8 to 15, “child” (“plentyn”) means an adoptive child, and references to a person’s child are to a child, other than the person’s stepchild, who has been or may be adopted by that person.
By section 1(4) of the Adoption Act 1976, a local authority or appropriate voluntary organisation may be referred to as an adoption agency. The term “appropriate voluntary organisation” is defined in section 1(5) of the 1976 Act, as inserted by section 116 and Schedule 4, paragraph 5 of the Care Standards Act 2000, c. 14.