Section 9 of the Children and Families Act does not provide a new route for birth family members to apply for contact with an adopted child. It allows birth family to ask the court for permission to apply for a contact order, but does not change existing law. The only change is that adopted children no longer need court permission to apply for contact or a no-contact order - other birth family still require court permission as before. Adopters can now also apply for no-contact orders between birth family and the adopted child. Applications for contact at or after adoption must be made under the new provisions, not the previous Children Act 1989 Section 8.