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[MCA35]

Hi all,
Im new to all this but i have a child living with me on a family arrangement order and have had him for around 3yrs now recently his brother came to live with me on a sgo order the child that has been with me for 3yrs hasnt had contact with his mum in 2 years due to her showing no intrest in him and letting him down all the time the child in question started calling my self and my parner mum and dad and now the LA want me to add him into contacts with the siblings but the sibling in question he never met as he was not born at the time and his mums ex partner who he used to call dad will be at the contact which i feel will only really confuse him can LA false me to add him to this contact? He was not involved in the brothers sgo case as he was already with me any help on this would be great i have Cin meeting tomorrow and need some advise please.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear MCA35,

Welcome to the Family and Friends Board.

You have been caring for a child for over 3 years now under a Child Arrangements Order. This means that you share Parental Responsibility with the child’s parents, and when it is possible to do so, it is a good idea to consult on decisions – you can read more about this on pages 3-5 of our
Child Arrangements Orders advice sheet.

It sounds as though you have formed a close bond with the child and have some concerns about him seeing his siblings and his mother’s ex-partner. Have you discussed these concerns with the social worker involved? In most cases, children benefit from contact with their birth family and with other siblings, as long as it is safe for this to happen.

You mention that there is a Child in Need Meeting tomorrow, which may be a good opportunity for you to express your concerns about the child having contact and how this may lead to some confusion. The social worker should address some of these concerns and work with you to manage contact in a way that promotes the child’s best interests.

Good luck and I hope you found this helpful!

Suzie