Children & Child Custody

A pilot study by researchers at Lancaster University and the University of Bradford has found that involving children’s guardians in vulnerable families may avoid the need for care proceedings.  

The pilot study, listed in the Family Justice Review and Government response to that review, examined whether earlier involvement of the Children’s Guardian might ensure more cases are prevented from going to court, or where cases go to court, that they are resolved more quickly.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults and the APPG for Looked after Children and Care Leavers has taken oral evidence from witnesses as part of its inquiry into the care and support provided for the thousands of children who go missing from care every year.

The Minister in charge of the child maintenance system has pledged the Government will take greater action to tackle parents who avoid their child maintenance responsibilities.

The Government has recently published the first local authority adoption scorecards, which have revealed widespread delays throughout the adoption system in England.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee has published a report of its review of the the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's (the Commission) cost reduction plans.

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has published new research which shows that local authorities are acting more quickly to keep vulnerable children safe.

A new study by charity Grandparents Plus has revealed that lack of support from Government and local authorities means that many grandparents face poverty after dropping out of the labour market to raise their grandchildren.

Ministers have put forward proposals to strengthen the law to ensure that children can continue to see both parents if they separate or divorce where it is safe and in the child’s best interest.

Children who go missing from care are being systematically failed and placed in great danger by the very professionals who are there to protect them, according to a parliamentary inquiry report.

The Family Rights Group has responded to the news that a new select committee investigation into the adoption process in England and Wales has been launched.

The Prime Minister has announced plans to reduce radically the time it takes for a baby to move in with their permanent family.

The Chair of the Justice Select Committee, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, has written to the Prime Minister in relation to the Government’s proposals to change the Children Act 1989 in an attempt to promote shared parenting.

The latest Lord Chief Justice’s Report has been laid before the House of Lords.

Adoption UK has issued a statement in response to recent figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which show that there has been a 6% increase in the overall level of adoptions in England and Wales.

The High Court has ruled that social workers were wrong to obtain consent from a woman to take her new-born baby into care when she was still under the affects of drugs administered during a difficult birth, reports the Daily Mail.

The educational attainment of looked after children and young people is improving slowly but there is too much variation in attainment, inconsistent support and a lack of clearly defined outcomes against which progress can be assessed. These are the findings of a report published by the Auditor General for Wales.

The Russian Federation and Lesotho have deposited their instruments of accession to the 1996 Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.

Barnardo's has issued a statement welcoming the announcement that the Government is to consult over changes to fostering and adoption procedures.

Adoption UK has commented on the recent release by the Department of Education of statistics relating to children in care.

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has commented on recent claims that families who move to England from Slovakia and Russia are being unfairly targeted to satisfy demand from prospective British adopters.