 placement order. Some advice on positive and problematic contact arrangements are suggested in the Supporting direct contact after adoption research. 7.4. Where consent is given under section 19 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (the Act) or if a placement order is made, the adoption agency is authorised to place the child for adoption. With authority to place the child for adoption, the contact provisions in sections 26 and 27 of the Act apply. Where the adoption agency is authorised to place the child for adoption any existing 1989 Act contact 15 Neil, E., Young, J., Cossar, J., Jones, C. and Lorgelly, P. (2010) Supporting direct contact after adoption, Adoption Research Initiative study. 119 order ceases to have effect; birth parents and others may apply to the court for a contact order under section 26 of the Act. 7.5. Before making a placement order, section 27(4) of the Act requires the court to consider the arrangements the agency has made or proposes to make for contact and to invite the parties to the proceedings to comment on those arrangements. 7.6. When the adoption order is made it also extinguishes any order under the 1989 Act, and any contact order under section 26 of the Act. Section 46(6) imposes a duty on the court, when making an adoption order, to consider the existing and proposed arrangements for contact with the child, and to seek the views of the parties to the proceedings on those arrangements. The court will be able to make a contact order under section 8 of the 1989 Act (a section 8 contact order), where it considers that to be in the best interests of the child. 7.7. While section 46(6) of the Act places an explicit duty on the court to consider whether there should be contact ¬ there is no presumption that this must be the case. At all 