prospective adopter in writing of any change to the adoption placement plan, but any such changes should always be discussed with the prospective adopter before they are implemented. Modification of the Children Act 1989: AAR 45 5.11. AAR 45 applies only when the agency is authorised to place a child for adoption or has placed a child less than 6 weeks old for adoption. AAR 45 modifies the 96 Children Act 1989 (the 1989 Act) so that in adoption cases certain provisions of sections 22, 61 and Schedule 2 of that Act do not apply or are modified. Section 22 (general duty of local authority in relation to looked after children applies to local authorities) and section 61 (duties of voluntary organisations) applies to voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs). 5.12. Where the agency is a local authority, AAR 45.2 modifies section 22 of the 1989 Act so that:  section 22(4)(b) does not apply. The effect of this is to remove the general obligation on the authority to ascertain the wishes and feelings of the child's birth parents before making any decision with respect to the child;  section 22(4)(c) applies as if for that sub-paragraph there were inserted “(c) any prospective adopter with whom the local authority has placed the child for adoption.” The effect of this is to require that where the authority has placed a child with a prospective adopter it is to ascertain their wishes and feelings before making any decision with respect to the child. 5.13. The local authority will still be required to comply with section 22(4)(a) and section 22(4)(d) of the 1989 Act in ascertaining, and in section 22(5) in giving due consideration to, the wishes and feelings of the child, and of any other person it considers to be relevant. Research13 underlines the importance of listening to and actin