How to contact us for advice
We provide advice to parents, grandparents, relatives, friends and kinship carers who are involved with children’s services in England or need their help. We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.
Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.
To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). For Textphone dial 18001 followed by the advice line number. Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.
Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.
Our get help and advice section describes the processes that you and your family are likely to go through, so that you know what to expect. Our webchat service can help you find the information and advice on our website which will help you understand the law and your rights.
A new research study reveals a significant increase in the number of newborn babies (i.e babies under 2 weeks old) in England and Wales who are subject to care proceedings. It also finds many cases in which the notice to parents of care proceedings for their new born baby is given on the same day as the court hearing. There are significant regional variations – with 41% of same day hearings for newborns in North East England, compared to 9% in London.
Previous research found that final legal order outcomes for nearly half of newborns subject to care proceedings was placed for adoption.
The research was commissioned by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and undertaken by the Family Justice Data Partnership, which is a collaboration between the University of Lancaster and the University of Swansea. It is part of the ongoing Born into Care series.
“These findings are very worrying. In recent days attention has been paid to the heartbreaking and lasting impact to children and birth parents of the adoption policies of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Yet this new research shows that there has been a significant rise in recent years in new born babies being subject to care proceedings whilst their mothers are still in hospital, in some cases still bleeding from the birth. The most common legal outcome for these babies will be adoption. Many of these mothers whose babies are subject to care proceedings are very young and too often have themselves been in care.
If the state is to consider the draconian step of removing a child from its parents, then fair process is essential. It is shocking that same day notices for care proceedings have become the norm in parts of England and Wales and leads to serious questions as to whether the system can act justly in such cases.
It is inexcusable that the chances of whether your baby may be removed varies so significantly depending upon where you live in England and Wales. We know from both research and our advice line that factors that can make a significant difference as to whether care proceedings are issued include: whether effective work is undertaken with expectant parents during pregnancy; the availability of mother and baby placements; the provision of services such as domestic abuse or mental health specialist provision; the severity of hospital maternity unit discharge policies; and whether the local authority has fully explored whether there are wider family who might be able to step in to support the parents and help care for the child, averting the need for care proceedings.
We – Government and all stakeholders in our child welfare and family justice system – urgently need to address the injustices set out in today’s research report – we know that the impact of failing to do so is lifelong for both children and their families”.
Cathy Ashley
M: 07931570149
E: cashley@frg.org.uk
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