During the summer of 2008, the Scottish Government consulted on a draft of new regulations applying to adoption agencies. It is expected that these regulations will come into effect at the same time as the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 - probably in early spring 2009.

When the Act and its associated regulations come into effect, same-sex couples will be able, for the first time in Scotland, to apply to jointly adopt a child, and one partner in a same-sex couple will be able to "step-parent adopt" their partner's child.

Attached below you can find the consultation response submitted by the Equality Network.

Response to consultation on draft Adoption Agencies (Scotland) Regulations (15k)