POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ADOPTION AND FOSTERING 1 Why change was necessary Mismatch between children needing adoptive placements and recruitment of sufficient adoptive families At the end of ID: 734850
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Need for ChangeChangeFuture Change
POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK – ADOPTION AND FOSTERING
1Slide2
Why change was necessaryMismatch between children needing adoptive placements and recruitment of sufficient adoptive families
At the end of March 2012 4,600 children were waiting for an adoptive
placement
Adopter
recruitment not keeping up with the needs of children waiting for adoptionDelay in the adoption system – in 2012 the average time between entering care and moving in with their adoptive family was one year nine months
2Slide3
Current legislation
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A long list!
See hand out
DfE 1
Legal Frameworks and statutory guidance
Over-arching aim of
Adoption
& Fostering legislation must be to meet the needs
of children
The
right of every child to belong to a family
is underpinned by
the 1989
UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child
. (‘
Ideal family’ being birth parents or members of their extended family – this must be explored
)Slide4
Current legislationNo one has a right to be a foster carer – fostering decisions must focus on the interests of the
child (DfE, 2013). The same applies to
adoption
Current legislation
reflects a more flexible approach to recruitment of adoptive, familiesThis session highlights a number, but not all, of the recent changes
4Slide5
2013 changes
Child’s Permanence Report must contain an analysis of the arguments for and against each permanence option and a fully reasoned recommendation (see Re B-S
)
This analysis must be full, based on evidence, and include consideration of long-term fostering as well as adoption
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2013 changes (2)
Two-part approval process in both fostering and adoption, with strict timescales – completion of both stages within six months for adoption and eight months for fosteringDelegated authority for foster carers to make more day-to-day decisions regarding the CYP in placement
Fostering to adopt – a
child may be placed with foster carers who are also approved prospective adopters on a fostering basis, while care proceedings are underway, where the local authority is considering adoption for the child
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2013 changes (3)‘Fast-track’ assessment process for previous adopters and foster-carers
Speedier referral to the Adoption and Children Act Register for approved adopters and children
National Gateway for Adoption – First4Adoption – a central point of information for those considering adoption
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… and more
Children and Families Act 2014Changes in the Act: Power for the Secretary of State to require LAs to outsource the recruitment and assessment of adopters
Arrangements for contact for LAC and adopted children
Local authorities to accept prospective adopters ‘in general’ – i.e. not just for the children in their care
Free education from two years of age for adopted children (Sept 2014)Same rights as birth parents to leave and pay for adoptive parents (from 2015)Other areas of legislation and guidance (see handouts)
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