BBC Panorama programme ‘I Want my Baby Back’ that was transmitted on 13th January examines evidence used in ‘Vitamin D cases’ in family courts. The BBC says that crucial evidence against parents came from doctors, who erroneously viewed fractures on x-rays as evidence of abuse, rather than a lack of vitamin D (or Rickets) which […]
It has been announced that from next year there will be a legal duty on local authorities to allow children in care to stay in their foster placements until the age of 21 rather than having to leave at 18. This is likely to have huge benefits for the young people concerned, particularly when they […]
The Judge behind the award-winning Family Drug and Alcohol Court in London has voiced concern over the new 26 week timetable imposed within all new care proceedings. He points out that he has personal experience of cases where children have been returned home to their parents, rather than being adopted, but that this has taken […]
The top family judge in the country, Sir James Munby (President of the Family Division), has criticised the presentation of “sloppy” evidence before the court in cases where local authorities seek to place children for adoption without the parents’ consent. He said that separating children from their families on a permanent basis must be a […]
A committee of MP’s has recommended that more children should be in foster care. The House of Commons Education Select Committee has concluded that more children should be placed in foster care warning that too many children are left in circumstances of chronic neglect. They also stated that in their opinion too many parents were […]
Data from the Department of Education shows that the number of children currently being cared for by the state has increased by 2% since last year. There are now 67,050 children in care in England which is an increase from a total of 65,520 last year. The age group most affected by being in care […]
The BBC website has today run an article about Family Intervention Projects which are run across the country to help parents get to grips with difficulties they have had in parenting their children and running their homes. The project provides a very intensive service and the workers are available seven days a week. They can […]
We often deal with cases where, for whatever reason, children cannot continue to be brought up by their parents and extended family members step in to care for them instead. Such people are known as Kinship Carers. The benefit of this for the child is that they are able to remain within their birth family […]
We have noticed a significant increase in cases which involve facebook. It has cropped up in cases about children and divorce when a client has discovered something about an ex-partner on facebook and has then brought this to us as evidence of their behaviour. This has been the topic of a recent article in the […]
Peter Andre is understood to have issued court papers seeking ‘custody’ in respect of his and Katie Price’s children; Princess and Junior. Yet to be confirmed by Andre’s agent it is thought that Peter has made an application for the residence of both children following shocking allegations that Princess was burnt during a recent holiday […]