Adoption has become a political hot topic. Many politicians and charitable organisations have had a say in the debate, but the views of social workers have been lacking.
David Cameron stated that ‘the current [adoption] situation is not working’. Local authorities are currently required to place a child for adoption within 12 months of the adoption decision being made, but many children are not placed within this period.
This debate has often focused on the adopters, as opposed to the children. It has blamed social workers for long and intrusive assessments of prospective adopters without reflecting on how traumatising an adoption breakdown would be for a child already separated from their birth family.
Thorough assessments are required as many of the children we work with have suffered horrendous abuse or neglect, or both, as well as separation. Out of the five children I received placement orders (permission to place for adoption) for in 2011, one had learning and physical disabilities, one was born withdrawing from heroin and one was very restless due to witnessing domestic violence.
Having an overview of their whole life history, I had a good idea of the families these children require, but not all adopters are willing or able to provide what is necessary for each child.
The most common problem I come across is that many people want to adopt a baby; however, many children placed for adoption are older. Of the five children I talked about above, four were aged between 2 and 6 years old and only one was a baby. The reason I was able to place a baby for adoption was because her parents absconded and have not been heard of since.
The Children Act 1989 requires social workers to evidence that they have tried to keep children within their families. This can frustrate social workers who feel that the courts focus on the rights of the birth parents over the timescales of the child.
I recently attended court to finalise the adoption of a six year old following two years of care proceedings. One week prior to this, an uncle requested a halt to the adoption. While I believed this child needed immediate legal permanence, the judge felt it necessary to delay the proceedings by two months on the grounds of fairness to the uncle.
These are the delays that children often face but are rarely discussed politically. I would argue that this does not provide the public with an accurate overview of the complexities that social workers face when considering an adoptive family.
Social workers and children need choice so that a family that best meets the child’s needs is found. I would urge more people to consider adoption as a service to children, not as a right of the adult.
Amy Norris, social worker for looked after children.