If the application is made by a couple (whether married or unmarried), both of them must have been habitually resident in the British Isles for at least one year preceding the application or one of them must have been domiciled in a part of the British Isles. The birthmother or father still retain the right to decide whether their child can be formally adopted.

To introduce a new independent review mechanism for prospective adopters who feel they have been turned down unfairly. Protected information' is defined as any identifying information sought by someone other than the person it is about. For the first time, the legislation recognised the needs of birth relatives who want the opportunity to let their adult adopted relative know of their interest for contact.At the time, the hope was that the adoption reforms would ‘help the 6,000 children who need loving homes to be adopted. In any other case: The child must have had their home with the applicant, or in the case of an application by a couple, with one or both of them, for not less than three years (whether continuous or not) during the period of five years preceding the application. Under Section 98 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (England and Wales), birth relatives of an adopted adults, and adopted people themselves, have the legal right to ask a local authority, voluntary adoption agency or adoption support agency that has registered as an intermediary agency to provide them with intermediary services so that their adopted relatives or birth relatives know of their wish for communication and contact.

Direct contact is less common, but children with siblings who live elsewhere may be encouraged to maintain direct contact with their siblings.It’s thanks to this Act that, if you’re 18, you can apply to the Registrar General for information to enable you to apply for a copy of your original birth certificate and also find out which agency arranged your adoption. Hayes and Hayes favoured what is referred to as the ‘tie breaker’ approach where all other things being equal the closest ethnic match would be preferred.