Recently Legal Action for Women have published a dossier which recognises and criticises the push for adoption as they state that this shows ‘discriminatory treatment’. It describes ‘the traumatic and discriminatory treatment of children, mothers and grandmothers by the institutions who are in charge of child protection’.
The organisation wants to increase publicity around this issue and they believe that it is not known the amount of intervention between families. They believe that the local authorities are pushing too hard for adoption rather than keeping the children with their parents.
It is the view that the local authorities have been prioritising adoption over support for families which has led to a 65% increase in the number of children who have been removed from their parents. The report notes that there has been an increase this year for referrals to Cafcass even though the amount of identified cases of abuse from parents has dropped from 24% to under 8%.
Anne Neale of Legal Action for Women, co-author of the dossier, commented:
“The push for adoption has resulted in the highest ever number of children in care and an unprecedented level of state intrusion in family life. The fundamental relationship between mother and child is dismissed as irrelevant to a child’s wellbeing and development, and the trauma of separation, and its lifelong consequences, are ignored.”
This view is formed by many who believe that local authorities should concentrate more on keeping families together and supporting them through difficult times to safeguard the children rather than adoption.
Jacksons regularly deal with clients who need assistance with children matters, for more information please contact Louisa Bestford on 0191 2069617 or Emma Canham on 0191 2069621.
Please share the article
