Many councils are unprepared for the introduction of the adoption support regulations this week and are freezing out the voluntary sector.

The government has allocated £70m over three years to fund the introduction of the regulations but councils are unsure what the level of demand will be.

Jonathan Pearce, director of Adoption UK, said many councils were "still grappling with the regulations and guidance" and would not be ready for their introduction from 31 October "because they are all starting from different levels".

The new regulations, introduced under the Adoption and Children Act 2002, place responsibility for the first time on local authorities to assess the needs of existing and former adopters and adopted children, and provide a range of services including counselling, advice and information, financial support, help with contact arrangements and therapy.

Despite the complex and potentially costly nature of the regulations, adoption groups said most local authorities had decided to provide support services themselves rather than commission them from voluntary adoption support agencies.

Yvette Gayford, chairperson of the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies, said: "The reality seemsÉ that the money has gone into the councils and they have created their own posts because they think it's the quickest way of doing something."