Adoption cases reviewed: an indicative study of process and practice

The contemporary legal framework for adoption was put in place by the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (AACA 2002). This reconciled adoption law with the principles embodied in the Children Act 1989. It ensured compliance with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Acts 1998 (HRA 1998). Law and statutory procedures are designed so that children can expect that their welfare will be given paramount consideration in decision making through care and placement proceedings. Birth parents can expect that due process will be ensured where they wish to contest the decisions made to remove children permanently from their care and place them for adoption. This report presents the findings from a study that evaluated the strengths of the current adoption process and establish what changes, if any, are required to ensure that the processes of local authority and court-case handling and decision making are consistent with the principles underpinning the current legal framework of adoption in England.