Fostering for adoption: progress, an unjustifiable ‘fait accompli' or something in-between? Part 2

Daniela Nickols, Solicitor, Mowbray Woodward, Solicitors

Adoption in the context of children in care is a draconian step and it is therefore imperative that due process is retained.  If Fostering for Adoption (FfA) is to be a justifiable policy in achieving permanency for children it is required to strike a balance between the differing perspectives of the parties involved, while simultaneously prioritising the welfare of the child.  In order to determine its acceptability an analysis of the risks and benefits resulting from the policy is needed.  Regardless of this analysis however, for the policy to achieve its purported aims it must also be workable in practice.

This second article will consider the policy of FfA from the competing perspectives of the child, the parents and the carers.  It will reflect upon the potential difficulties for the policy in practice and comment upon its overall impact upon permanency outcomes for children in care.

The full version of this article appears in the March 2014 issue of Family Law.

Read the full article here.