Adoption legislation

Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

The Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (the Act) received Royal Assent in April 2022. The Act reforms the legislative framework and procedural arrangements governing adoption in Northern Ireland and introduces a range of new measures to give effect to the Department’s policy and strategy relating to adoption. In addition, the Act extends and strengthens the provisions of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (the Children Order) to improve outcomes for children and families in need, looked after children and care leavers, providing greater opportunities for children in care to experience permanence and stability, and placing greater focus on children and young people’s rights.

Section 158 of the Act places a statutory duty on the Department, at least once every three years, to prepare and publish a report on the implementation of each of the provisions in Parts 1 (Adoption) and 2 (Children Order Amendments) of the Act and to lay a copy of the report before the Northern Ireland Assembly. The First Report on the Implementation of the Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 has now been laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly and is available here

• Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 - First Report on Implementation in Accordance with Section 158 

Legislation

The current legislative framework for adoption, both domestic adoption and intercountry adoption, is set out within:

• the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987
• the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
• the Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act (Northern Ireland) 2001
• adoption (Hague Convention) Act (Northern Ireland) 1969
• the Adoption Agenices Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989
• Adoption Allowances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
• the Adoption of Children from Overseas Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002
• the Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003
• the Registration of Foreign Adoptions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003
• the Adoption of Children from Overseas and Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
• the Voluntary Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

International Conventions

• the united nations convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC)
• convention on protection of children and co-operation in respect on intercountry adoption (the Hague Convention)