 offered support at this difficult time. Adoption and paternity leave and pay 4.40. The prospective adopter should notify their employer of their intention to take adoption leave or paternity leave within seven days of being notified that they have been matched with a child. They should tell their employer the date on which the child is to be placed for adoption with them and the date they intend to start their adoption leave. When notifying the prospective adopter of their decision to place a child for adoption, the adoption agency should also enclose a completed Matching Certificate. 93 Chapter 5: Placement and Reviews This part of the guidance explains the duties of an adoption agency where:  it places a child for adoption  it reviews the child’s case  consent to placement is withdrawn  the placement is terminated. Placement by agency 5.1. Once a decision has been made in accordance with regulation 3 AAR that a child should be placed with a particular prospective adopter, the agency will need to make a plan for the placement. The placement cannot be made unless the agency has ‘authority to place’ (consent under section 19 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (the Act) or a placement order) or the child is under 6 weeks old and the birth parents have agreed in writing that the child may be placed, using the agreement form in chapter 2. In most cases it will be impracticable to make plans for the placement until it is clear that it will be lawful to place the child. However in the case of a baby, for example, or where it is necessary to end the child’s existing placement in the near future, it will be helpful to comply with the requirements of AAR 35.1 and 2, and to make at least a provisional plan for the placement, in anticipation of the expected consent or plac