Adoption

[Kitty 33]

Hi there we was in court this morning and they hv got an adoption and placement order on my son what happens naw is there eany way we can still get him home

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Kitty33

Thank you for your two recent posts. I will reply to both here. I am sorry to hear that at the Final Hearing for your baby the court decided that he could not be returned home to your care. I know this is very distressing for you and not the outcome you hoped for. I know that you worked very hard to try to care for your son.

The court has, I think, made a Placement Order . This means that children’s services are allowed to find adopters to care for him and to place him with them, even if you do not consent to this. Your son would have to be cared for by the adopters for at least 10 weeks before they could apply for an Adoption Order.

You want to know if there is any way that you can get your son home. You have not yet had a copy of the judgment. Once a Placement Order has been made for a baby it is likely that they will go on to be adopted. The chances to ask the court to end the order are very limited.

However, you should arrange an urgent appointment with your solicitor to discuss the court decision and seek their legal advice about whether there is anything you can do i.e. are there legal grounds to appeal? Your solicitor will make sure that you have a copy of the judgement; it is important to go through this carefully to understand why the court made the order. If you have an advocate, ask them to support you with understanding this process. An appeal can only be made, within 21 days of the court decision, if there was something wrong with the way the court’s decision was made.

Sometimes, a parent can ask the court’s permission to apply to end the Placement Order. But there must be a change of circumstances, for you or your son, that is so major that the court should look at decision for your son again. You can find out more here.

You have explained in your earlier posts that children’s services were involved because of your partner’s history as a registered sex offender and concerns about parenting. It will be very difficult to challenge if the situation has not changed.

You wanted to know what happens next. Please see this information here which explains what happens when a placement order has been made.

You have a right to information, counselling and support from a specialist service once a plan for adoption has been made. You can find out more here. It may be a good idea to get in touch with a specialist worker who will be able to support you further.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Kitty 33]

Hi there ty cam we appos the adoption once he is placed whit a family and yes my bf is on the sex offends register he can come off it in 2 year and he is classed as low risk they have asked hi to do cbt but the ss says its just not the cbt so they would not fun it for him

[greenfairy]

Hi Kitty33, I am sorry that you are going through this. Can I give you some advice and I mean this in the kindest way possible. We have also had social services involvement for something similar, so please don't think I am giving you this advice from a point of moral superiority.

This is very serious. Please dump your boyfriend. And be serious about it. This is the only way you have a fighting chance of getting your child back.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi there ty cam we appos the adoption once he is placed whit a family and yes my bf is on the sex offends register he can come off it in 2 year and he is classed as low risk they have asked hi to do cbt but the ss says its just not the cbt so they would not fun it for him

Dear Kitty

Thank you for your post.

I am sorry to here that you are no longer caring for your child. It must be a very difficult time for you.

Once your child is placed and the prospective adoptive parents make their application to court you will be told the date of the hearing. You have the right to be present but, because a placement order was made, you do not have the right to argue against the adoption order being made. The Family Court would need to give you specific permission before you can challenge the making of an adoption order. For information about this see our advice sheet on Challenging adoption orders. Click on Adoption then 3c).

As previously advised, there are some organisations that offer support to mothers in your situation.

MATCHmothers is a charity that offers non-judgemental support and information to mothers apart from their children in a wide variety of circumstances. This is their help line number 0800 689 4104 along with their opening times. They also have lots of information and advice to support you emotionally on their website that you may find helpful. FREE CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS APART 9.30am -1pm and 7pm -9.30pm

PAC-UK have a First Family Service which I have detailed below:

First Family Service
If your child no longer with you or is there a chance this may happen we offer free advice and support for birth mothers, fathers and relatives.
We know how traumatic losing a child can be. We know that you will always be family to your child. We aim to help you improve the outcome for any future children you may have.

First Family Service can:
• Listen to your story and how you are feeling about your child’s adoption.
• Explain the often confusing process of adoption and what that means for you and your child – now and in the future.
• Help write a letterbox letter. Most people find the first one particularly difficult.
• Help you to write a letter for your child for when they are older explaining what happened and how you feel about it.
• Let you know how other parents like yourself feel. We run friendly support groups in some areas.
• Look at the reasons your child was removed and what you can do to keep a future child if you want to.
• Meet with you in a convenient place and discuss what is most helpful to you. What you say is confidential.

Their First Family Service has its own Action Line that you can call and leave a message requesting a call back or text on 07975 846 249.
Alternatively, you can email firstfamily@pac-uk.org and we will respond to your request at the earliest possible opportunity.

PAUSE is an organisation that supports mothers who are no longer caring for their children. They help women to focus on their needs, wishes and goals and offer one to one support over a set period of time. They are a national charity and have programmes in some but not all local authorities. If you are interested in this type of support take a look at this link HERE to see whether they work in your area. If they don't, there may be a similar type of support service and I would suggest you speak to children services about this.

Best wishes, Suzie