Case No. GL20P00553

14.The law provides for what has been described as a ‘fast track’ process of adoption with parental consent. This allows a baby to be relinquished at birth, and then for the mother (and father if he has parental responsibility) to consent to adoption once the baby is more than six weeks old. Section 18 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (“ACA”) provides for the local authority to place a baby under six weeks with prospective adopters, and Section 19 for placement with consent. Once the baby is placed for adoption pursuant to section 19 then a parent cannot apply for a Child Arrangements Order (CAO) unless an adoption application has been made and the court has given the parents leave to oppose pursuant to section 28(1). 15.The fact that there is such a procedure for a parent to relinquish a baby for adoption does not mean that there is no duty on the local authority or adoption agency to consider the wider family. First of all, a baby who is placed for adoption with a local authority comes within the definition of a child who is ‘looked after’ by them (s18(3)). This brings with it an expectation that the local authority will consider the child’s family as potential carers of the child. In the case of