ouraged to seek legal advice if he is in any doubt about his position. 2.47. Where the mother gives consent to placement for adoption, or advance consent to adoption, and subsequently marries the child’s father, the father would acquire parental responsibility and thus become a parent within the meaning of the 1989 Act. However, sections 52(9) and 52(10) of the Act provide that, if the child is placed, the father is deemed to have given his consent, although he may of course later withdraw it, provided he does so before an application has been made to court for an adoption order. Unless such a father withdraws his deemed consent, the adoption process should continue. Relinquishment for adoption of children aged less than six weeks 2.48. Where a pregnant woman approaches the agency and indicates that her intention is to relinquish the child for adoption, the agency should provide her with pre-birth 44 counselling. This counselling should include explaining the options for the child’s future care:  staying with the parent or parents, with close support where possible. Where the baby and mother are accommodated with foster carers, trained to care for the baby and support the mother, the intention is to help the mother overcome her anxiety and develop her parenting skills and confidence so that she is able to care for the child;  short-term foster care, with the aim of returning the child with support;  long-term placement within the child's wider family; or  placement for adoption. 2.49. The mother should be given an explanation of the procedures for both placing her child for adoption and the adoption, and the legal implications of adoption. This must include that her consent to her child’s adoption will not be effective until six weeks after the child’s birth. See pa