Looked after children Care and adoption proceedings in England and Wales
Section 31 of the 1989 Act enables a court, on the application of a local authority (or authorised person) to make a care order which places a child in the care of a local authority. A court may only make such an order if it is satisfied that the section 31(2) ‘threshold test’ has been met and that making the order would be in the child’s best interests.
	When deciding whether to make a care order, the court must consider the ‘permanence provisions’ of the section 31A care plan (section 31(3A) of the 1989 Act). The section 31A care plan is a plan for the future care of the child and is prepared by the local authority. Section 31(3B) of the 1989 Act defines the ‘permanence provisions’ as "such of the plan’s provisions setting out the long-term plan for the upbringing of the child concerned as provide for any of the following", and there follows a list of three categories of potential options for a child: the child to live with their parent(s) or wider family/ friends or for the child to be adopted or for the child to have some other long term care provision.
	Section 1(4) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 lists the matters the court and adoption agencies must have regard to when coming to decisions relating to the adoption of a child. Section 1(4)(f) requires courts and adoption agencies to have regard to the relationship a child has with relatives and any other person the court or adoption agency considers relevant.