It is important that the child’s mother and father are involved. Even if a father does not have parental responsibility for his child, social workers must ask him about the plan for adoption. The only exception is if the Family Court has said this should not be done. The discussion with a father should include looking at whether there is anyone in his family and friends’ network who could potentially care for the child.
Where a child is old enough, the social worker should speak to them about the plan for adoption.
How is the information gathered used?
The information gathered should go into the child’s permanence report. This report is used by children’s services and the Family Court when making decisions about the adoption. And the information about the child and family in the report helps to identify prospective adopters who will be able to meet the specific needs of the child.