Welfare Reform on the Web (January 2002): Child Welfare - UK
ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS : A NEW APPROACH
G. Perrot
Family Law, vol.31, 2001, p. 810-816
Certain county courts have now been designated as adoption centres and guidance has been issued which describes and lists them. It explains the machinery for managing cases at the centres, as well as giving guidance on active case management and on the interrelationship of care, adoption and freeing proceedings. The guidance is reprinted in full in the article.
THE CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK
K. Wilson and A. James (eds.)
London: Baillère Tindall, 2001
Comprehensive coverage of policy and practice in understanding child abuse, managing the process of child protection and intervention and training issues.
CHILD UNFRIENDLY
F. Collier
Guardian, Oct. 29th 2001, p.18
The Adoption and Children Bill before Parliament places restrictions on unmarried couples adopting children. Only one of the partners can be the child's legal parent. The other may apply for a residence order, which gives them a different legal status and responsibilities.
CHILDREN "AT RISK" MAY BE SENT TO BOARDING SCHOOLS
J. O'Leary
Times, Oct. 26th 2001, p.14
Children in care could be sent to independent boarding schools under plans being discussed by local authorities.
(See also Independent, Oct. 26th 2001, p.18: Guardian, Oct. 26th 2001, p.12)
FAMILY VALUE
N. Allen
Family Law Journal, Oct. 2001, p.18-20
A legal challenge has been made to the lawfulness or otherwise of Manchester City Council's policy of paying less money to family foster carers for the upkeep of the child than the normal fostering rate. The policy compels family foster carers to accept a level of financial support well below that determined by the Council to be necessary for the maintenance of other foster children.
"FOSTER PARENTS SHOULD BE PAID £186 A WEEK
L. Duckworth
Independent, Nov. 2nd 2001, p.9
The Fostering Network has proposed that carers should be paid £93.00 a week to look after a child up to four, rising in stages to £186 per week for a child over sixteen. More attractive remuneration packages may persuade adults to give up well paid jobs and devote themselves to bringing up disadvantaged youngsters.
YOUNG, FREE AND SUPPORTED
R. Winchester
Community Care, Oct. 11th - 17th 2001, p.34-35
The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 came into force on Oct. 1st 2001. Qualifying children are now entitled to a variety of advice, assistance and financial support from their local authority up to their 21st birthday. Describes how the Young Persons Support Team in Plymouth will offer these services using a multi-agency approach.
THE GOOD NEWS ON CHILDREN'S SERVICES
J. Thoburn
Community Care, Oct. 11th - 17th 2001, p. 36-37
Research shows that social workers have been successful in implementing the provisions of the Children Act 1989. Innovative schemes have been developed to support families and head off crises so that children do not have to be taken into care. However eligibility thresholds for service provision have remained high, with many needy families being turned away. There has also been a big increase in the use of relatives to look after children at risk, again avoiding them having to go into care. In spite of concerns expressed by some judges, there is no evidence of care plans provided to the courts not being taken seriously.
THE LAW GIVETH AND THE LAW TAKETH AWAY
C. Goulden
Family Law Journal, Oct. 2001, p. 2-4
Discusses the implications of the provisions of the Adoption and Children Bill 2001 for the rights of natural parents.
THE LONG GOODBYE
N Valius
Community Care, Oct. 25th-31st 2001, p.34-35
The government is pushing for a 40% increase of adoptions of children in care over the next five years. Some of these children with traumatic backgrounds will suffer from attachment disorders. If placements of these children with new families are to be sustained, there will be an increasing need for post-adoption support services.
MAKING WAVES IN WALES
K. Downer
Third Sector, no. 217, 2001, p. 13-14
Describes the role of the voluntary sector in the establishment of the post of Children's Commissioner for Wales.
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND?
N. Reynolds
Community Practitioner, vol. 74, 2001, p. 405-408
Calls for reform of the regulation of private fostering so as to give more protection to the children involved. There is need for private foster carers to be registered, for arrangements to be monitored and for local authorities to be given extra resources to supervise the system. It should be made an offence for a parent to place a child with unregistered foster carers or for unregistered carers to foster children.
QUALIFYING IN CARE
N. Carroll
Municipal Journal, Nov. 2nd 2001, p.17
Discusses various initiatives to improve the educational performance of children in local authority care.
START RIGHT
F. Rickford
Community Care, Oct. 11th - 17th 2001, p. 28-29
Sure Start is a universal service aimed at improving the life chances of children aged 0-3 in deprived areas. Services have to be planned and run by a partnership committee involving statutory and voluntary agencies and parents' representatives.
THINKING BEYOND ATTACHMENT: A FOSTERING AND ADOPTION SERVICE FOR BLACK CHILDREN
S. Singh
Multicultural Teaching, vol. 20, Autumn 2001, p. 44-48
Article focuses on issues related to antiracist social work as it impacts on the development of an adoption and fostering service for Black children within a white agency in Scotland. Sets out the social and legal context of social work with black children in Scotland, and then examines some of the underlying principles and practices that have shaped the Khandan Initiative, a project which provides "same-race" family placements.
WITH THE LAW ON OUR SIDE?
B. Davies
Young People Now, no. 151, 2001, p. 28-29
Ever since its inception sixty years ago the youth service has called for a firmer statutory base to make clear to local authorities what they must do to provide adequate youth work facilities. However such a statutory base would open the way for tighter central control.