Child to live with adopters before order made
13.—(1) Where—
(a)the applicant, or one of the applicants, is a parent, step-parent or relative of the child, or
(b)the child was placed with the applicants by an adoption agency or in pursuance of an order of the High Court,
an adoption order shall not be made unless the child is at least 19 weeks old and at all times during the preceding 13 weeks had his home with the applicants or one of them.
(2) Where paragraph (1) does not apply, an adoption order shall not be made unless the child is at least 12 months old and at all times during the preceding 12 months had his home with the applicants or one of them.
(3) An adoption order shall not be made unless the court is satisfied that sufficient opportunities to see the child with the applicant or, in the case of an application by a married couple, both applicants together in the home environment have been afforded—
(a)where the child was placed with the applicant by an adoption agency, to that agency, or
(b)in any other case, to the Board within whose area the home is.