In cases where a Local Authority’s plan for a child is for the child not to return or remain in a parent’s care nor be placed with a family member, the Local Authority will usually apply for a Placement Order. A Placement Order enables the Local Authority to place a child for adoption with suitably approved prospective adoptive carers. A Placement Order can only be made by the Court if it considers that there is no other safe alternative placement for a child.
Before making a Placement Order, the Court must consider contact between the child and their birth parents and whether or not the parents’ consent to the adoption. If a parent does not consent to adoption then the Court must dispense with a parent’s consent and can only do that if it is in the best interests of the child throughout the remainder of their childhood.
After a child has been placed with adopters under a Placement Order, those prospective adopters are likely to make an application to the court for an Adoption Order. Once a child has been placed with prospective adopters it is most unlikely that you would be able to seek that the child returns to your care.
If an application for Adoption is made in the future then you should be notified.
Once a child has been adopted, all connection with their birth family is severed and the child is treated as if he/she is a child of the adopters. Only in very limited circumstances would contact be arranged between a child and his/her birth family once a child is then placed for adoption.