Legislation – Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
PART 1
Adoption
1 Considerations applying to the exercise of powers
CHAPTER 2 The Adoption Service
5 Assessments etc. for adoption support services
6 Adoption support services: duty to provide information
7 Arrangements on cancellation of registration
8 Inactive or defunct adoption societies, etc.
9 General power to regulate adoption agencies
10 Management, etc., of agencies
12 Independent review of qualifying determinations of adoption agencies
13 Information concerning adoption
14 Inspection of premises, etc.
CHAPTER 3 Placement for adoption and adoption orders
Placement of children by adoption agency for adoption
15 Placement for adoption by agencies
16 Placing children with parental consent
17 Advance consent to adoption
19 Applications for placement orders
25 Further consequences of placement
26 Further consequences of placement orders
Removal of children who are or may be placed by adoption agencies
27 General prohibitions on removal
28 Recovery by parent etc. where child not placed or is a baby
29 Recovery by parent etc. where child placed and consent withdrawn
30 Recovery by parent etc. where child placed and placement order refused
31 Placement orders: prohibition on removal
32 Return of child in other cases
Removal of children in non-agency cases
Breach of restrictions on removal
39 Child to live with adopters before application
40 Reports where child placed by agency
41 Notice of intention to adopt
44 Conditions for making adoption orders
45 Restrictions on making adoption orders
50 Orders under section 49: supplementary
Placement and adoption: general
52 Modification of Children Order in relation to adoption
53 Disclosing information to prospective adopters
54 Revocation of adoptions on legitimation
Disclosure of information about a person’s adoption
55 Information to be kept about a person’s adoption
56 Restrictions on disclosure of protected etc. information
57 Disclosure of other information
59 Disclosing information to adopted adult
60 Disclosing protected information about adults
61 Disclosing protected information about children
63 Other provision to be made by regulations
64 Sections 55 to 64: interpretation
CHAPTER 4 Status of adopted children
65 Meaning of adoption in Chapter 4
66 Status conferred by adoption
68 Rules of interpretation for instruments concerning property
69 Dispositions depending on date of birth
70 Property devolving with peerages etc.
71 Protection of trustees and personal representatives
Adopted Children Register, etc.
78 Connections between the register and birth records
80 Adoption Contact Register: supplementary
CHAPTER 6 Adoptions with a foreign element
Bringing children into and out of the United Kingdom
82 Restriction on bringing children in
83 Giving parental responsibility prior to adoption abroad
84 Restriction on taking children out
85 Power to modify sections 82 and 84
Adoptions from abroad: special restrictions
86 Declaration of special restrictions on adoptions from abroad
89 Imposition of extra conditions in certain cases
91 Modification of section 66 for Hague Convention adoptions
92 Annulment etc. of overseas or Hague Convention adoptions
94 Overseas determinations and orders
96 Restriction on arranging adoptions etc.
97 Offence of breaching restrictions under section 96
99 Prohibition of certain payments
101 Sections 96 to 100: interpretation
102 Pre-commencement adoptions: information
106 Children’s court guardians
107 Right of access to adoption agency records
Orders made in Great Britain, etc.
109 Effect of certain Scottish orders and provisions
110 Effect of certain orders made in England and Wales
111 Use of adoption records from Great Britain, etc.
112 Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
PART 2
Children order amendments
116 Definition of family proceedings
117 Article 8 orders: authority foster parents
118 Duration of residence orders
120 Ascertainment of children’s wishes
121 Provision of services to children in need, etc.
123 Corporate parenting principles
124 Placement of looked after children with prospective adopters
125 Accommodation for children: requirements
127 Duty to ensure visits to and advice etc. for children
128 Former relevant children: continuing functions
129 Local offer for care leavers
130 Inquiries into representations
131 Review of cases of looked after children
132 Independent advocacy services
135 Contact: children in care of authority
136 Persons authorised to act as children’s court guardian
137 Renaming of guardians ad litem
138 Interests of children in proceedings
139 Definition of privately fostered child
140 Welfare of children who will be privately fostered
141 Notification of fostering: public awareness
142 Privacy for children in proceedings
143 Report on the operation of the Children Order
PART 3
Miscellaneous and supplementary
144 Northern Ireland Adoption and Children Act Register
145 Use of an organisation to establish the register
146 Use of an organisation as an agency for payments
147 Supply of information for the register
149 Search and inspection of the register by prospective adopters
150 Search and inspection of the register by adoption agencies
152 Time limit within which proceedings may be brought
153 Research and investigations
154 Amendments, transitional and transitory provisions, savings and repeals
157 Supplementary and consequential provision
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE 1 Registration of adoptions
SCHEDULE 2 Disclosure of birth records by Registrar General
SCHEDULE 3 Minor and consequential amendments
SCHEDULE 4 Transitional and transitory provisions and savings
PART 2Children order amendments
Definition of family proceedings116
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