Law

Adoption Act 1976

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2009-10-01, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 85 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 Establishment of Adoption Service.
  3. 2 Local authorities’ social services.
  4. 3 Approval of adoption societies.
  5. 4 Withdrawal of approval.
  6. 5 Procedure on refusal to approve, or withdrawal of approval from, adoption societies.
  7. 6 Duty to promote welfare of child.
  8. 7 Religious upbringing of adopted child.
  9. 8 Inactive or defunct adoption societies.
  10. 9 Regulation of adoption agencies.
  11. 9A Independent review of determinations
  12. 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  13. 11 Restriction on arranging adoptions and placing of children.
  14. 12 Adoption orders.
  15. 13 Child to live with adopters before order made.
  16. 14 Adoption by married couple.
  17. 15 Adoption by one person.
  18. 16 Parental agreement.
  19. 17 Convention adoption orders.
  20. 18 Freeing child for adoption.
  21. 19 Progress reports to former parent.
  22. 20 Revocation of s. 18 order.
  23. 21 Variation of section 18 order so as to substitute one adoption agency for another.
  24. 22 Notification to local authority of adoption application.
  25. 23 Reports where child placed by agency.
  26. 24 Restrictions on making adoption orders.
  27. 25 Interim orders.
  28. 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  29. 27 Restrictions on removal where adoption agreed or application made under s. 18.
  30. 28 Restrictions on removal where applicant has provided home for 5 years.
  31. 29 Return of child taken away in breach of s. 27 or 28.
  32. 30 Return of children placed for adoption by adoption agencies.
  33. 31 Application of s. 30 where child not placed for adoption.
  34. 32 Meaning of “protected child”.
  35. 33 Duty of local authorities to secure well-being of protected children.
  36. 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  37. 35 Notices and information to be given to local authorities.
  38. 36 Offences relating to protected children.
  39. 37 Miscellaneous provisions relating to protected children.
  40. 38 Meaning of “adoption” in Part IV.
  41. 39 Status conferred by adoption.
  42. 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  43. 41 Adoptive relatives.
  44. 42 Rules of construction for instruments concerning property.
  45. 43 Dispositions depending on date of birth.
  46. 44 Property devolving with peerages etc.
  47. 45 Protection of trustees and personal representatives.
  48. 46 Meaning of “disposition”.
  49. 47 Miscellaneous enactments.
  50. 48 Pensions.
  51. 49 Insurance.
  52. 50 Adopted Children Register.
  53. 51 Disclosure of birth records of adopted children.
  54. 51A Adoption Contact Register.
  55. 52 Revocation of adoptions on legitimation.
  56. 53 Annulment etc. of overseas adoptions.
  57. 54 Provisions supplementary to ss. 52(3) and 53.
  58. 55 Adoption of children abroad.
  59. 56 Restriction on removal of children for adoption outside Great Britain.
  60. 56A Restriction on bringing children into the United Kingdom
  61. 57 Prohibition on certain payments.
  62. 57A Permitted allowances.
  63. 58 Restriction on advertisements.
  64. 58A Information concerning adoption.
  65. 59 Effect of determination and orders made in Scotland and overseas in adoption proceedings.
  66. 60 Evidence of adoption in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
  67. 61 Evidence of agreement and consent.
  68. 62 Courts.
  69. 63 Appeals etc.
  70. 64 Proceedings to be in private.
  71. 65 Duties of officers of the Service
  72. 65A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  73. 66 Rules of procedure.
  74. 67 Orders, rules and regulations.
  75. 68 Offences by bodies corporate.
  76. 69 Services of notices etc.
  77. 70 Nationality.
  78. 71 Internal law of a country.
  79. 72 Interpretation.
  80. 73 Transitional provisions, amendments and repeals.
  81. 74 Short title, commencement and extent.
  82. SCHEDULE 1 Registration of Adoptions
  83. SCHEDULE 2 Transitional Provisions and Savings
  84. SCHEDULE 3 Consequential Amendments
  85. SCHEDULE 4 Repeals

Proposed changes to this act

No one has proposed a change to this act yet.

85 provisions

74 Short title, commencement and extent.

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Propose a change

SCHEDULE 1 Registration of Adoptions

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Propose a change

SCHEDULE 2 Transitional Provisions and Savings

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rights relating to property 6 (1) Section 39— (a) does not apply to an existing instrument or enactment in so far as it contains a disposition of property, and (b) does not apply to any public general Act in its application to any disposition of property in an existing instrument or enactment. (2) Sections 16 and 17 of the Adoption Act 1958, and provisions containing references to those sections shall continue to apply in relation to dispositions of property effected by existing instruments notwithstanding the repeal of those sections, and such provisions, by the Children Act 1975. (3) Section 46 shall apply in relation to this paragraph as if it were contained in Part IV. 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Propose a change

SCHEDULE 3 Consequential Amendments

—3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Propose a change

SCHEDULE 4 Repeals

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