{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-1989/section-23A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-1989/section-23A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1989/41",
  "legislation_title": "Children Act 1989",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-1989",
  "path": "section/23A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "23A",
  "heading": "The responsible authority and relevant children.",
  "text": "(1) The responsible local authority shall have the functions set out in section 23B in respect of a relevant child.\n( 2 ) In subsection (1) “ relevant child ” means (subject to subsection (3)) a child who—\n(a) is not being looked after by any local authority in England or by any local authority in Wales;\n(b) was, before last ceasing to be looked after, an eligible child for the purposes of paragraph 19B of Schedule 2; and\n(c) is aged sixteen or seventeen.\n(3) The Secretary of State may prescribe—\n(a) additional categories of relevant children; and\n(b) categories of children who are not to be relevant children despite falling within subsection (2).\n(4) In subsection (1) the “ responsible local authority ” is the one which last looked after the child.\n(5) If under subsection (3)(a) the Secretary of State prescribes a category of relevant children which includes children who do not fall within subsection (2)(b) (for example, because they were being looked after by a local authority in Scotland), the Secretary of State may in the regulations also provide for which local authority is to be the responsible local authority for those children.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 23A, 23B, 23C inserted (1.10.2001) by 2000 c. 35, s. 2(4); S.I. 2001/2191, art. 2; S.I. 2001/2878, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 23A(2)(a) substituted (6.4.2016) by The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 74(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 23A(3) substituted (6.4.2016) by The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 74(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 23A(5) substituted (6.4.2016) by The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 74(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 23A(5) substituted (13.11.2008) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), ss. 39, 44, Sch. 3 para. 8(3)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 23A(2) modified (W.) (1.10.2001) by S.I. 2001/2189, reg. 4(4)(5) (as amended (1.8.2002) by S.I. 2002/1855, reg. 2(b)(i))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/23A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T07:28:21.051680+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."
}