Welfare Reform on the Web (May 2001): Child Welfare - UK
ADOPTION: A NEW APPROACH
Anon.
ChildRight, no. 173, 2001, p. 8-10
Summarises the proposals of the Adoption White Paper in the areas of national standards, implementation of an adoption register, reform of the assessment process for prospective adopters, post-adoption support, and addressing poor performance.
CALLING FOR POST-ADOPTION MONITORING AND SUPPORT: A PERSONAL STATEMENT
K. Challand
Adoption and Fostering, vol. 24, no. 4, 2000, p. 29-31
Based on her personal experience, author pleads for children's placement with adopters to be monitored after the order is granted and for children to have access to support when they need it. The informal and chaotic nature of the author's original adoptive placements underlines the importance of careful vetting of would-be adopters.
CHILD CARE COSTS AND LONE MOTHERS' EMPLOYMENT RATES
S. P. Jenkins and E. J. Symons
The Manchester School,. vol. 69, 2001, p. 121-147
Using data from the 1989 Lone Parents Survey, authors confirm that child care costs do act as a disincentive to lone mothers with respect to their taking up paid employment.
CHILD POVERTY IN BRITAIN AND THE NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT
D. Piachaud and H. Sutherland
Journal of Social Policy, vol. 30, 2001, p. 95-118
Article analyses the circumstances of children in poverty in the UK, describes the specific initiatives launched by New Labour to eradicate child poverty, and weighs them up in terms of their potential impact. Explores the potential of increasing the numbers of parents in work for reducing poverty. The policies for addressing long term disadvantage are also discussed. Finally the whole programme is assessed and future strategy considered.
CHILDCARE PLAN FOR TEENAGE MOTHERS
G. Hurst
Times, Feb. 22nd 2001, p. 12
Reports that the government is planning to offer free childcare to teenage mothers to allow them to complete their education. The scheme would pay the costs of a registered childminder for up to 16 hours a week for mothers under 20 who return to education or training.
(See also Daily Telegraph, Feb. 22nd 2001, p. 11; Guardian, Feb. 22nd 2001, p. 1+ 8; Financial Times, Feb. 23rd 2001, p. 4)
FREE CHILD CARE FOR MOTHERS WHO GO TO SCHOOL "IS UNFAIR"
S. Womack
Daily Telegraph, Feb. 23rd 2001, p. 15
Reports concerns that government proposals to give teenage single mothers free child care if they complete their education will alienate low income young couples who will continue to have to pay.
GUIDE OFFERS FRESH HOPE
S. Wellard
Community Care, no. 1359, 2001, p. 12
New government guidelines recommend for the first time that adoption agencies should help birth families to contact adopted people.
INFANT ADOPTION IN ENGLAND: POLICY AND PRACTICE AT PLACEMENT
J. Castle et al
Adoption and Fostering, vol. 24, no. 4, 2000, p. 45-56
Based on interviews with adoptive mothers of a sample of 52 infants placed between 1989 and 1991, the authors examine differences in the practice of voluntary adoption agencies and social services regarding issues such as contact, links with family background, openness and post-placement support. Authors also report on adoptive parents' opinions about the provision of pre- and post-adoption services. They conclude that co-operation between social services and voluntary adoption agencies could improve both services.
NEVER MIND THE QUALITY
E. Newman
Young People Now, no. 143, 2001, p. 28-29
In the light of recruitment and retention difficulties in youth work, article argues that colleges appear to be recruiting trainees who are unable to complete their programmes without support, and then failing to provide the necessary support. They are also failing to provide students with satisfactory work placements.
NO FREE FLATS FOR TEENAGE MOTHERS, SAY TORIES
S. Womack
Daily Telegraph, Feb. 20th 2001, p. 1
A future Tory government would refuse council flats to teenage single mothers and exert pressure on them to live with their parents.
STAND BY FOR ACTION
N. Valios
Community Care, no. 1359, 2001, p. 22-23
As part of Quality Protects, all local authorities in England have to submit management action plans to the Department of Health. In these, social services departments have to show how they have improved local services in line with government objectives during the previous year and how they intend to make further improvements in the following year. Article discusses how frontline staff and the children themselves can be involved in developing the plans.
TOY LIBRARIES LAUNCHED IN DEPRIVED AREAS
S. Womack
Daily Telegraph, Feb. 20th, 2001, p. 13
Announces government plans to help parents cope with the increasing cost of children's toys by creating 150 toy libraries in deprived areas.
UNSUITABLE TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE: THE PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING OF YOUTH WORKERS
A. Grier and T. Thomas
Youth and Policy, no. 70, 2000/01, p. 1-10
Paper explores the development of policies for the screening of applicant youth workers by reference to their previous criminal records. The inclusion of the "police check" as part of the recruitment and selection of youth workers started in 1986. Authors suggest that this "police check" which is intended to weed out unsuitable workers may in fact be instrumental in excluding potentially good workers from the youth service, and may deter some people from applying for jobs for which they would be quite suitable.