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Revised Statute from The UK Statute Law Database

Adoption Act 1976 (c. 36)

This version of this statute is extracted from the UK Statute Law Database (SLD). It is not necessarily in the form in which it was originally enacted but is a revised version, which means that any subsequent amendments to the text and other effects are incorporated with annotations.

There are effects on this legislation that have not yet been applied to SLD for the following years: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. See the Tables of Legislative effects and the Update status of legislation page on the SLD website.

Royal arms

Adoption Act 1976

1976 CHAPTER 36

Contents

Go to Preamble

  1. Part I

    The Adoption Service

    1. The Adoption Service

      1. 1. Establishment of Adoption Service

      2. 2. Local authorities’ social services

    2. Adoption societies

      1. 3. Approval of adoption societies

      2. 4. Withdrawal of approval

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

    3. Welfare of children

      1. 6. Duty to promote welfare of child

      2. 7. Religious upbringing of adopted child

    4. Supplemental

      1. 8. Inactive or defunct adoption societies

      2. 9. Regulation of adoption agencies

      3. 10.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      4. 11. Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing of children

  2. Part II

    Adoption Orders

    1. The making of adoption orders

      1. 12. Adoption orders

      2. 13. Child to live with adopters before order made

      3. 14. Adoption by married couple

      4. 15. Adoption by one person

      5. 16. Parental agreement

      6. 17. Convention adoption orders

    2. Freeing for adoption

      1. 18. Freeing child for adoption

      2. 19. Progress reports to former parent

      3. 20. Revocation of s. 18 order

      4. 21.Variation of section 18 order so as to substitute one adoption agency for another

    3. Supplemental

      1. 22. Notification to local authority of adoption application

      2. 23. Reports where child placed by agency

      3. 24. Restrictions on making adoption orders

      4. 25. Interim orders

      5. 26.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  3. Part III

    Care and Protection of Children Awaiting Adoption

    1. Restrictions on removal of children

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

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

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

      4. 30. Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies

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

    2. Protected children

      1. 32. Meaning of “protected child”

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

      3. 34.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      4. 35. Notices and information to be given to local authorities

      5. 36. Offences relating to protected children

      6. 37. Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children

  4. Part IV

    Status of Adopted Children

    1. 38. Meaning of “adoption” in Part IV

    2. 39. Status conferred by adoption

    3. 40.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    4. 41. Adoptive relatives

    5. 42. Rules of construction for instruments concerning property

    6. 43. Dispositions depending on date of birth

    7. 44. Property devolving with peerages etc

    8. 45. Protection of trustees and personal representatives

    9. 46. Meaning of “disposition”

    10. 47. Miscellaneous enactments

    11. 48. Pensions

    12. 49. Insurance

  5. Part V

    Registration and Revocation of Adoption Orders andConvention Adoptions

    1. 50. Adopted Children Register

    2. 51. Disclosure of birth records of adopted children

    3. 51A. Adoption Contact Register

    4. 52. Revocation of adoptions on legitimation

    5. 53. Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions

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

  6. Part VI

    Miscellaneous and Supplemental

    1. 55. Adoption of children abroad

    2. 56. Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Great Britain

    3. 56A. Restriction on bringing children into the United Kingdom for adoption

    4. 57. Prohibition on certain payments

    5. 57A. Permitted allowances

    6. 58. Restriction on advertisements

    7. 58A. Information concerning adoption

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

    9. 60. Evidence of adoption in Scotland and Northern Ireland

    10. 61. Evidence of agreement and consent (E+W+S+N.I.)

    11. 61. Evidence of agreement and consent (E+W)

    12. 62. Courts

    13. 63. Appeals etc

    14. 64. Proceedings to be in private

    15. 65.Duties of officers of the Service

    16. 65A.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    17. 66. Rules of procedure

    18. 67. Orders, rules and regulations

    19. 68. Offences by bodies corporate

    20. 69. Services of notices etc

    21. 70. Nationality

    22. 71. Internal law of a country

    23. 72. Interpretation

    24. 73. Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals

    25. 74. Short title, commencement and extent

  7. SCHEDULE 1

    Registration of Adoptions

  8. SCHEDULE 2

    Transitional Provisions and Savings

  9. SCHEDULE 3

    Consequential Amendments

  10. SCHEDULE 4

    Repeals

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

[22nd July 1976]

Annotations:

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Power to amend Act conferred (5.7.1994) by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (c. 37, SIF 83:1), ss. 30(9)(10), 39(3), 43(2); S.I. 1994/1776, art. 2(1)

C2By Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), s. 101(1), Sch. 12 para. 23; S.I. 1991/2208, art. 2(1), Sch.1 it is provided (14.10.1991) that in relation to any time before the commencement of s. 70 of that 1991 Act (which came into force on 1.10.1992 by S.I. 1992/333, art. 2(2), Sch. 2) references in any enactment amended by that 1991 act, to youth courts shall be construed as references to juvenile courts.

C3Act applied (with modifications) (1.11.1994) by S.I. 1994/2767, reg. 2

Act: modified (prosp.) by 1999 c. 18, ss. 17, 18(3)

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