Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Adoption
- Defined in S46(1) ADOPTION AND CHILDREN ACT 2002 (ACA)
- Extinguishes parental responsibility from anyone
else including birth parents and given permanently to
the adopter
- Disadvantages of long term foster care - doesn't offer
the child stability as doesnt offer permanence. Foster
care generally used for shorter periods
- Average age of a child who is adopted now is between
age of 3 years and 10 months.
- Children also now have variety of
special/complex needs. i.e. sibling groups.
- CARE PROCEEDINGS
- Care plan for adoption - where are
children going to live; school... court
wants to know the plan for the children.
- MANDATORY
REQUIREMENT: Local
Authority apply for a
placement order under
S.22(1)(c) & (d) ACA 2002
- If social services make this plan, cumpolsory at
same time to apply for a placement order.
- PLACEMENT
ORDER - definition
in S.21(1) ACA 2002
- Legal effect of placement order
S.25 - if court grants this order
P.R shared between 3 people:
1. Agency 2. Prospective
Adopters 3. Birth Parents
- Criteria to grant placement
order: a) child subject to a care
order or; b) court satisfied
S.31(2) CA 1989 met or; c) child
has no parent/guardian or;
- d) each parent has consented to the child
being put up for adoption or parents consent
should be dispensed under S.52 ACA 2002
- S.52(1) ACA 2002 - Dispense of
consent - welfare of child
requires consent to be
dispensed with.
- Does child's welfare require consent to be dispensed with?
S.1 ACA 2002 welfare checklist, cross reference with S.1 CA 1989.
- S.1(4)(c) & (f) ACA 2002 - court have to think
about impact of placement throughout child's life.
- Re P (Placement Orders: Parental Consent) [2008]
- Consequences of placement order:
- Parents are not allowed to
oppose the adoption
application without
permission of the court.
They are told that it is
happening but are unable
before.
- Leave test - you have to have
evidence of a change of
circumstance since the
placement order was granted.
- Cannot apply to revoke
placement order if child has
been placed for adoption.
- AIM OF ACA 2002: Birth parents are given the
opportunity to challenge before placement order for
a child is made - can have full hearing.
- Sequence of proceedings: 1) Care Proceedings - need to get children
out. 2) Care plan for adoption. 3) Placement Order (mandatory).
- 4) Place child with prospective adopters (parents consent/welfare of the child) -
can be on placement order without prospective adopters; can be a gap
- 5) Adoption Order
- POST ADOPTION CONTACT - S.1(f)(i) ACA 2002 - now
positive duty to think about childs relationship with
birth family.
- Care Plan - specify the contact plan.
Current ethos is that child should know
from start they are adopted.
- Indirect/Letter Box contact via Social Services.
- Direct/face to face contact.
Quite unusual. Usually
appropriate for older children &
siblings.
- Post Adoption Order: If parents want to
make S.8 Contact Application need
leave/permission - No longer automatically
entitled. Adopters only ones PR.