This CANNOT be true - children being taken away from parents to meet adoption targets??? WTF?

[CountessDracula]

I really cannot believe that this can be true.

LOOK

i just read that, can't believe it either

If that's true, it's very frightening.

This sort of thing makes me so

A very good friend of mine was in this situation, and had to fight tooth and nail to get her DS back. The whole thing was laughable, because they put their DS on the at risk register, but didn't their DD. It's a long story, and it's not my place to go into it. But

How frightening

I've definitely read something along those lines in the past, thought it was in AIMS journal but this is the nearest I can find on the website.

It's this target driven culture that we live in - they go for the easy targets. Scary stuff.

I find this difficult to believe, and I have known some pretty awful social workers in my time.
I fail to see how there could be targets for adoption that would make any sense as it costs social services money every time a child is placed for adoption. Even after adoption in some cases an adoption allowance is paid to the adoptive family until the child has grown up.

On top of this it is the courts who make the final decision as to the best interests of the child not social services.

I do not believe for one minute that social services don't get it wrong from time to time but the last word is down to the court.

The idea of adoption being target driven is repellent

So, children can be put up for adoption against the will of their biological parent(s)?

The is wrong wrong wrong.

Yes, target driven culture has gone way too far if this article is true. Perhaps they are trying to reduce the number of children in care so they can have a nice shiny favourable statistic going into the next election.

I somehow don't believe it, also, just because a Baby is taken away from teh parents does not mean they can be adopted out, teh parents would have to sign the papers for that first...

Uwila, I am pretty sure that children can not be adopted out against the will of teh biological parents.

Yes, they can, uwila.

And you know the real national tragedy is the secrecy w/which the Family Courts are allowed to act as a law unto themselves.

Labour has show how little respect it has for law and order when it applies to themselves.

Exercise your right to vote in the next elections!

I agree, this whole 'target' driven thing.

Who thought that up?

Targets are for the SALES industry, not social services, healthcare, public transport, etc.

I don't have any right to vote here.

I knew there was something more relevant in the AIMS journal:

here

From the paragraph "Screening for child abuse":

"Health visitors are now required by the Primary Care Trusts that employ them to screen all new parents for any likely risk of child abuse. In some areas, they even visit mothers before the birth to do so. No wonder we're seeing more and more cases of babies targeted for adoption while still in the womb."

Of course children can be adopted out against the will of the biological parents. Certainly any of us can imagine circumstances in which that's a good thing?

Targets are a scary idea, though.

Cassandra Jardine has been banging away about this for some time - see an article here and if you search on the DT website more will come up.

Coincidentally, while searching, this article about a Romanian child came up, which is almost as unbelieveable, but seems to be true.

hm, just as an example now...woman has children with man, they get divorced, women meets another man and gets married and he decides to adopt the children, but this can only happen with signiture of the Biological father...

Surely, they have to first proof serious childabuse, etc...before they can take the biological parents rights away and they first have to proof aswell that there is no "rehabilitation" possible?

Apply to naturalise NOW, uwila!

First, sit your Life in the UK test.

It's a piece of p*ss.

Then, make an appointment with the National Checking Service, who will go over your application for a fee.

The app gets processed quickly if you use NCS and you can keep your documents in the interim.

After your naturalisation is approved and you have your citizenship ceremony, you can get yourself on the roll to vote!

Vote, everyone! Vote!

please no!

Effing hell...I just decided that I am definately a bit naive...!
I do think that Social workers should be accountable for their actions and should be named.
And also read that Romanian report, that is just unbelievable...but, if they treat their Kids like that, it's not a surprise their country is in such a state....

I have no difficulty in believing this whatsoever.

So long as the family courts are secret, they can do as they like.

I mean, thing is also, there are plenty of children in need of help....why don't they take those truely abused ones away, sigh...

i find Romania terrifying. I was there for 3 months. i don't know if it is a good or bad thing they have joined the EU - have no idea if it will help improve the lives of the really poor and their children.poverty like that just does not exist here.

Expat, how much did it cost you to get UK citizenship? I keep waffling cause I'm afraid I could lose my US citizenship, and I can't bear the thought of that.

YOu will NOT lose your US citizenship. At all.

They don't recognise dual nationality, but they don't prohibit it.

Cost about £400 total w/citizenship ceremony.