Adoption Law Directory
Here you will find links to all the main laws, regulations and
guidance governing adoption.
Adoption guidance
Adoption guidance is made under the Adoption and Children
Act 2002. It is the most accessible way to find out what the
law and regulations mean in practice.
This statutory guidance explains the content of the different sets
of regulations made under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and
the duties and responsibilities that the regulations place on
adoption agencies.
Adoption and Children Act 2002
The
Adoption and Children Act 2002 is the main law governing
adoption and came into force on 30 December 2005.
This
paper summarises the main changes brought about by the new
act.
Regulations and Court Rules
Find here all current regulations made under the Adoption and
Children Act 2002. Also court rules other relevant
legislation and international conventions.
These court report formats based on the Adoption court Rules set
out what the social worker has to include in court reports:
Standards
National Minimum Standards for Voluntary Adoption Agencies and
Local Authority Adoption Service (2003).
These standards help the Commission for Social Care Inspection
determine whether adoption agencies are meeting the relevant
regulatory requirements. Adoption agencies and their
staff use the standards in the self-assessment of their
services.
National minimum standards for adoption support
agencies. These standards will be used by the
Commission for Social Care Inspection in regulating adoption
support agencies.
Independent Review Mechanism
The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) in England became
operational on 30 April 2004 and is run by the British Association
for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) on behalf of the Secretary of
State for Education and Skills.
The IRM was established to help build public confidence in the
adoption service, particularly in the adopter assessment
process. Where the adoption agency has decided not to
recommend them as suitable to adopt, the IRM gives the prospective
adopters the option to have their case reviewed by an independent
panel. Find out
more on the IRM website.
Special Guardianship
This is a new permanence option for children brought about
by the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
This
checklist compares Special Guardianship with other
permanence options for children.
This
PowerPoint presentation sets out the main features of special
guardianship.
and
Regulations.
This
court
report format based on the Court Rules sets out what the social
worker has to include in court reports where there is an
application for a Special Guardianship
Order.