Section 22: Parental responsibility
Section 22 makes provision for who is to have parental responsibility where a child is placed for adoption under section 16 (placement with consent) or an adoption agency is authorised to place a child for adoption under that section, or where a placement order is in force. Once consent to placement under section 16 is given, or a placement order is made, the adoption agency has parental responsibility for the child (subsection (2)) and while a child is placed with prospective adopters, parental responsibility is given to them (subsection (3)). The child’s parents retain parental responsibility throughout the process, up to the point at which an adoption order is made. Under subsection (4) the agency may determine the extent to which the parental responsibility of any parent or guardian or of prospective adopters is to be restricted.
