Adoption (Whitehall report)

A further post linked to the Whitehall report and the proposed reorganisation of family justice. The aspect of this area of the report focuses on adoption, foster care and the process of this. With the aim to reduce the time taken to complete this process and also to take the steps towards ensuring that those adopted are given the same priorities as those who have been fostered and placed in residential care. 

It has firstly brought to light the problems that exist within the system through a study into the past year;

• Only 60 out of 3600 children under one year old in care were adopted
• To be completed the average case has risen to 52 weeks  

The Whitehall report has made a number of recommendations that if put into place will reduce the time of the adoption process. The report suggests that judges will take a more predominant role in managing cases and in doing so simplifying the process. Currently there are interim care orders that exist which need to be renewed after eight weeks and then after every four weeks, lengthening the process unnecessarily, the report also suggests removing these. 

The report extends to propose giving adopted children the right to school. Currently the school administration code gives priority to those in foster and residential care, this will be extended to those adopted. 

From 2013 children that have been adopted would have a guaranteed place at both the primary and secondary school of their choice. As an extension of this and to aid its implementation there will also be the introduction of a ‘national offer day’ for primary schools, set and beginning on April 16th 2014, to ensure that parents can have a piece of mind of where their children will attend school.