Adoption Act 1976

PART IThe Adoption Service

The Adoption Service

1Establishment of Adoption Service

2Local authorities' social services

Adoption societies

3Approval of adoption societies

4Withdrawal of approval

5Procedure on refusal to approve, or withdrawal of approval from, adoption societies

Welfare of children

6Duty to promote welfare of child

7Religious upbringing of adopted child

8Inactive or defunct adoption societies

9Regulation of adoption agencies

10Inspection of books, etc., of approved adoption societies

11Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing of children

PART IIAdoption Orders

The making of adoption orders

12Adoption orders

13Child to live with adopters before order made

14Adoption by married couple

15Adoption by one person

16Parental agreement

17Convention adoption orders

Freeing for adoption

18Freeing child for adoption

19Progress reports to former parent

20Revocation of s. 18 order

21Transfer of parental rights and duties between adoption agencies

22Notification to local authority of adoption application

23Reports where child placed by agency

24Restrictions on making adoption orders

25Interim orders

26Care etc. of child on refusal of adoption order

PART IIICare and Protection of Children Awaiting Adoption

Restrictions on removal of children

27Restrictions on removal where adoption agreed or application made under s. 18

28Restrictions on removal where applicant has provided home for 5 years

29Return of child taken away in breach of s. 27 or 28

30Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies

31Application of s. 30 where child not placed for adoption

Protected children

32Meaning of " protected child "

33Duty of local authorities to secure well-being of protected children

34Removal of protected children from unsuitable surroundings

35Notices and information to be given to local authorities

36Offences relating to protected children

37Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children

PART IVStatus of Adopted Children

38Meaning of " adoption " in Part IV

39Status conferred by adoption

41Adoptive relatives

42Rules of construction for instruments concerning property

43Dispositions depending on date of birth

44Property devolving with peerages etc.

45Protection of trustees and personal representatives

46Meaning of " disposition "

47Miscellaneous enactments, 48. Pensions

48Section 39(2) does not affect entitlement to a pension which...

PART VRegistration and Revocation of Adoption Orders and Convention Adoptions

50Adopted Children Register

51Disclosure of birth records of adopted children

52Revocation of adoptions on legitimation

53Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions

54Provisions supplementary to ss. 52(3) and 53

PART VIMiscellaneous and Supplemental

55Adoption of children abroad

56Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Great Britain

57Prohibition on certain payments

58Restriction on advertisements

59Effect of determination and orders made in Scotland and overseas in adoption proceedings

60Evidence of adoption in Scotland and Northern Ireland

61Evidence of agreement and consent

64Hearing of applications in private

65Guardians ad litem and reporting officers

66Rules of procedure

67Orders, rules and regulations

68Offences by bodies corporate

69Service of notices etc.

71Internal law of a country

72Interpretation

73Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals,

74Short title, commencement and extent

SCHEDULE 1Registration of Adoptions

Registration of adoption orders

1(1) Every adoption order shall contain a direction to the...

Registration of adoptions in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands

2(1) Where the Registrar General is notified by the Registrar...

Registration of overseas adoptions

3If the Registrar General is satisfied that an entry in...

Amendment of orders and rectification of Registers

4(1) The court by which an adoption order has been...

Marking of entries on re-registration of birth on legitimation

5(1) Without prejudice to section 52, where, after an entry...

Cancellations in Registers on legitimation

6Where an adoption order, other than a Convention adoption order,...

SCHEDULE 2Transitional Provisions and Savings

1In so far as anything done under an enactment repealed...

2Where any period of time specified in an enactment repealed...

3Nothing in this Act shall affect the enactments repealed by...

4Any reference in any document, whether express or implied, to...

Existing adoption orders

5(1) Without prejudice to paragraph 1, an adoption order made...

Rights relating to property

6(1) Section 39— (a) does not apply to an existing...

Payments relating to adoptions

7Section 57(7), (8) and (9) shall not have effect if,...

Registers of adoptions

8Any register, or index to a register kept under the...

SCHEDULE 3Consequential Amendments

PART IAmendments Extending Only to England and Wales

Children Act 1948 (c. 43)

1In section 2 of the Children Act 1948—

2In section 43(1) of the said Act of 1948, for...

3In section 51(1) of the said Act of 1948, for...

Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 (c. 55)

4In section 56(1) of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952, for...

Children Act 1958 (c. 65)

5In section 2(4A) of the Children Act 1958, for the...

6In section 6(1) of the said Act of 1958, in...

County Courts Act 1959 (c. 22)

7In section 109(2) of the County Courts Act 1959, after...

Children and Young Persons Act 1963 (c. 37)

8In section 23(1)(c) of the Children and Young Persons Act...

Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 (c. 46)

9In section 64(3)(a) of the Health Services and Public Health...

10In section 65(3)(b) of the said Act of 1968 there...

Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (c. 54)

11In section 21A of the Children and Young Persons Act...

12In section 58(1) of the said Act 1969—

13In section 63(6) of the said Act of 1969 at...

Administration of Justice Act 1970 (c. 31)

14In Schedule 1 to the Administration of Justice Act 1970...

Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (c. 42)

15In Schedule 1 to the Local Authority Social Services Act...

Guardianship of Minors Act 1971 (c. 3)

16In section 9(6) of the Guardianship of Minors Act 1971,...

Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77)

17In section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, in the...

Legal Aid Act 1974 (c. 4)

18In Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid Act 1974 in...

Children Act 1975 (c. 72)

19In section 37(1) of the Children Act 1975 for the...

20In section 60(6) of the said Act of 1975 after...

21In section 98(1)(b) of the said Act of 1975 at...

22In section 103(1)(a) of the said Act of 1975 for...

Legitimacy Act 1976 (c. 31)

23In section 4 of the Legitimacy Act 1976,

24In section 6(2) of the said Act of 1976, for...

PART IIAmendments Extending Only to Scotland

Children Act 1958 (6 & 7 Eliz. 2 c. 65)

25In section 2(4A) of the Children Act 1958, after the...

26In section 6(1) of the said Act of 1958, in...

Adoption Act 1958 (7 & 8 Eliz. 2 c. 5)

27In section 22(4A) of the Adoption Act 1958, in paragraph...

28In section 29(2) of the said Act of 1958 after...

29In section 34 of the said Act of 1958 the...

30In section 34A of the said Act of 1958 the...

31In section 37 of the said Act of 1958, the...

32In section 52(1) of the said Act of 1958, after...

33In section 57 of the said Act of 1958 the...

Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c. 49)

34In section 16(3) and (11)(b) of the Social Work (Scotland)...

Adoption Act 1968 (c. 53)

35In section 6 of the Adoption Act 1968 the following...

36In section 11(1) of the said Act of 1968, in...

Children Act 1975 (c. 72)

37In section 8(3) of the Children Act 1975, for the...

38In section 12(1) of the said Act of 1975, after...

39In section 16(3)(c) after the words " section 8(3)(b) "...

40In section 23 of the said Act of 1975, after...

41In section 25(4) of the said Act of 1975 after...

42In section 100(9)(a)(ii) after the words " section 14 "...

43In section 107 of the said Act of 1975—

44In paragraph 7 of Schedule 2 to the said Act...

SCHEDULE 4Repeals

Adoption Act 1976

1976 Chapter 36

An Act to consolidate the enactments having effect in England and Wales in relation to adoption.

[22nd July 1976]

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—