{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-northern-ireland-order-1987/article-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-northern-ireland-order-1987/article-3.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1987/2203",
  "legislation_title": "The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/adoption-northern-ireland-order-1987",
  "path": "article/3",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "The Adoption Service",
  "text": "(1) It shall be the duty of—\n(aa) an HSC trust in relation to its area;\n(bb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\nto establish and maintain a service designed to meet the needs, in relation to adoption, of—\n(a) children who have been or may be adopted;\n(b) parents and guardians of such children; and\n(c) persons who have adopted or may adopt a child,\nand for that purpose to provide the requisite facilities, or secure that they are provided byappropriate voluntary organisations.\n(2) The facilities to be provided as part of the service maintained under paragraph (1) include—\n(a) temporary board and lodging where needed by pregnant women, mothers or children;\n(b) arrangements for assessing children and prospective adopters, and placing children for adoption;\n(c) counselling for persons with problems relating to adoption.\n(2A) In this Part references to adoption are to the adoption of children, wherever they may be habitually resident, effected under the law of any country or territory, whether within or outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.\n(3) The service maintained. . . under paragraph (1) may be collectively referred to as “the Adoption Service”, and ... an HSC trust oran appropriate voluntary organisation may be referred to as an adoption agency.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "1994 NI 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in Order substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), ss. 32, 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(1)(d) (with Sch. 6 para. 1(3)); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Art. 3(1)(bb) omitted (1.4.2022) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 104(2); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in art. 3(1) substituted (29.10.2010) by Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/431 (N.I. 9)), arts. 1(3), 50(1), Sch. 4; S.R. 2010/288, art. 3, Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "2001 c. 11 (NI)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "1994 NI 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in art. 3(3) omitted (1.4.2022) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 104(3); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in art. 3(3) substituted (29.10.2010) by Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/431 (N.I. 9)), arts. 1(3), 50(1), Sch. 4; S.R. 2010/288, art. 3, Sch. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1987/2203/article/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:47:49.310353+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}