The latest child welfare items that should be right on your radar:
- Women forced to give up babies asked to share experiences (Scotland)
- Major study to examine lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children (Ireland)
- ‘I grew up in care alone – why did no-one tell me I had siblings?’ (England)
Researching Reform 
They talk of the HISTORICAL practice of forced adoption in Scotland as though that practice no longer exists .In fact it still continues unabated but even worse ! Why worse? Well they used to take babies at birth swiftly and with no real resistance from intimidated mothers .Nowadays mothers fight desperately in hostile family courts hoping against hope that they can keep their babies but usually all in vain.I doubt if any of these mums will be asked to “share their experiences” !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Growing up in care alone.
Some children from the same family may grow up together but other siblings may be separated from them, either fostered or adopted.
2 of my grandchildren are together but the 3rd, the youngest, was adopted from birth. Of the 2 who are together the original plan was to separate them & adopt the youngest of the 2. They ended up together. They were all supposed to have Contact but I doubt that happened.
There is no way I can find out as Contact was stopped with the family. Not just the parents but grandparents & all other relations too.
We were told our grandchildren didn’t want Contact anymore. This was immediately after a 6 month break imposed by social workers to allow the children to adjust to their new home & new foster carers when Care Proceedings were finalised. Contact had been agreed by the Judge in the Care Plan but that mattered not one iota.
The children didn’t tell us they no longer wanted Contact with us directly but we were informed by a social worker. Once loving relationships ceased in the blink of an eye amid my disbelief. How does a child who gets upset when you had to leave them at a contact centre suddenly state they don’t want to see you again? So what is really going on? If Contact is stopped there should be a very good reason but in my case I have never been given one. I feel sure it has nothing to do with me or my grandchildren but more what the social workers & foster carers wanted. My relationships with my grandchildren were very good until they were alienated.
My grandchildren have grown up believing their family doesn’t want them because if they don’t see or speak to them, how are they to know otherwise? What “life stories” are being fed to them to groom them to adjust to their new homes & get their acquiescence to strangers looking after them.
Are they really told their family has been in touch periodically asking how they are & would love to see them or sent Birthday or Christmas Cards or presents? (In court I was told the foster carers had put them in the attic.)
Ashley said he felt he had no sense of family, no sense of belonging. Whilst he doesn’t mention extended family, if he had grandparents to talk to & send greetings, wouldn’t that have been a lifeline & given him a sense of family & the feeling of being loved. How have my grandchildren been harmed by decisions made to oust the family? I’m not alone. I have heard of this same scenario from others & it’s written about on the Grandparents Apart website.
The Children’s Commissioner survey stated Children in Care wanted to feel safe, stable & loved: to maintain vital relationships with family & friends…. so why are social workers not retaining family relationships where possible, not just siblings but all family.
For those who have had Contact stopped then re-establishing contact with family members before leaving Care should be instigated as part of their preparations to leave Care at the very least. Otherwise how do they rekindle relationships once they grow up & leave the Care System? They may never know the truth as any “errors” of judgement are dismissed as inconsequential or covered up. Who would admit to making a mistake that caused such hurt & upset to all involved.
While the Children’s Commissioner knows children in care are getting a raw deal & feels now is the time to make drastic changes to make the children’s lives better, I can’t get excited because I’ve heard it all before & nothing really changes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Natasha
My two posts from the last hour or so were awaiting approval then disappeared.
What happened to them ?
LikeLike
They can’t be published because they breach reporting regulations. I’ve mentioned this recently. If posters insist on preventing me from removing their names and personal details by permanently stamping their names on submissions I won’t publish comments. Thanks.
LikeLike
I have no idea what you mean. “If posters insist on preventing me from removing their names and personal details by permanently stamping their names on submissions I won’t publish comments”. i have not done either. can you explain how i have prevented you from removing my name ?
LikeLike
Your name can no longer be removed from your comments. This is not a function down my end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why is it you can remove the names of others but not mine. its the same web page so you should be able to remove my name.
LikeLike
It’s not personal. I have the same issue with other posters. This is my last message on this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the same for everyone Keith and sometimes comments can’t be accepted, like Natasha said but I’m sure I’ve seen many of your comments are approved so Natasha would not have meant to have come across mean, just she had already explained. I don’t mean to come across negative to you by the way, it’s just I’m sure Natasha would feel upset by this and she is the loveliest, most genuine lovely lady I know.
All I’m saying is, please give her a chance. She’s gone over and beyond all these years to help us parents, children and families and listened to us including you and I 😘 Xx
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s okay, we patched things up xxxxxxx thank you for your immense kindness xxxxxxxxxxxxx
LikeLiked by 2 people
but you are stating that its me preventing you removing my name when this is not true.
LikeLike
This is true. The problem is down your end. Please sort it out and stop accusing me of having some kind of bizarre agenda. I am clearly publishing other comments you post.
LikeLike
i have not accused you of having an agenda. how can the problem be at my end when its your website and you have full control over it. and im pretty sure you have approved my posts before with my name removed.
am i speaking to Natasha here as it doesnt sound like it from past experience ?
LikeLike
It is me, I am just frustrated by your accusations. I cannot remove your name. What I am telling you is the truth. This change happened recently and not through anything I did. It may be my site but you have control over the way you submit comments. This is my final message on this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think its disgraceful how you have spoken to me here. i have done nothing wrong and have not made any accusations.
you just said it may be your site thats the problem and i think it is. im not aware that i have control over things like removing my name before posting on here.
LikeLike
I have found your tone unacceptable throughout this exchange. You did not ask politely about your posts. You accused me of lying. And you insisted you knew how the comment process works when you do not.
Despite your behaviour I have not only tried to explain the problem – several times – I have also been actively looking to see how you can resolve this issue.
It turns out that you must have subscribed to the site recently and now as a result your name cannot be removed from comments you make.
So I cannot – I repeat – I cannot amend the issue. You would do well not to make assumptions about things you are not versed in and then decide to attack people who have been nothing but supportive to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you seem to have lost site of the fact that most of us posting on here are Victims of the SS and family courts. we dont expected to be spoken to in the same way social workers do yet youve just done that to me. Im so disappointed in you Natasha. as a trained Barrister you should know better.
We are the survivors of the SS child stealing holocaust. dont forget that.
LikeLike
That’s really low, Keith. Just because you had a bad experience, it does not give you or anyone the right to treat others badly. That just makes you as reprehensible as the SWs you point to. Thoroughly disappointed in you, and your failure to acknowledge your conduct here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not going to allow you to insult me and belittle me any further. you clearly have a very aggressive attitude today and for that reason I wont be posting on this site anymore.
Goodbye.
LikeLike
I hope you’re ok Natasha. I understand what you’re saying. If there’s been this change with comments, then this is not your fault Xxxx
LikeLike
Reblogged this on tummum's Blog.
LikeLike