Part 1

Adoption
Chapter 3

Placement for adoption and adoption orders

Preliminaries to adoption

Notice of intention to adopt
44
1
This section applies where persons (referred to in this section as “proposed adopters”) wish to adopt a child who is not placed for adoption with them by an adoption agency.
2
An adoption order may not be made in respect of the child unless the proposed adopters have given notice to the appropriate local authority of their intention to apply for the adoption order (referred to in this Act as a “notice of intention to adopt”).
3
The notice must be given not more than two years, or less than three months, before the date on which the application for the adoption order is made.
4
Where—
a
if a person were seeking to apply for an adoption order, subsection (4) or (5) of section 42 would apply, but
b
the condition in the subsection in question is not met,
the person may not give notice of intention to adopt unless he has the court’s leave to apply for an adoption order.
5
On receipt of a notice of intention to adopt, the local authority must arrange for the investigation of the matter and submit to the court a report of the investigation.
6
In particular, the investigation must, so far as practicable, include the suitability of the proposed adopters and any other matters relevant to the operation of section 1 in relation to the application.
7
If a local authority receive a notice of intention to adopt in respect of a child whom they know was (immediately before the notice was given) looked after by another local authority, they must, not more than seven days after the receipt of the notice, inform the other local authority in writing that they have received the notice.
8
Where—
a
a local authority have placed a child with any persons otherwise than as prospective adopters, and
b
the persons give notice of intention to adopt,
the authority are not to be treated as leaving the child with them as prospective adopters for the purposes of section 18(1)(b).
9
In this section, references to the appropriate local authority, in relation to any proposed adopters, are—
a
in prescribed cases, references to the prescribed local authority,
b
in any other case, references to the local authority for the area in which, at the time of giving the notice of intention to adopt, they have their home,
and “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations.