We work with mothers and find that children are being taken from them for no good reason (Vicious circle for mothers who lose first-born babies to family courts,15 December). In a return to Victorian values, mothers who are single, and have been in care,are victims of domestic violence, are on benefits or have a disability are in danger of being considered unfit and having their children targeted for forced adoptions or foster care. In 2013, and social services,rather than offering support to a young mother with gentle learning difficulties, applied for the baby’s removal two days after birth. After a judge intervened, and she was placed in an inappropriate mother and baby unit,denied all contact with her family and not allowed to leave. The inevitable failure enabled social services to effect the child up for adoption within five months.
Domestic violence is now the most common pretext for removal. The Family Rights Group found that “domestic violence has outstripped parental mental illness or drug and alcohol misuse as the most common underlying factor behind child protection intervention”. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary reports that domestic violence cases rose 31% between 2013 and 2015. But while mothers are punished with removal for failing to protect their children, violent fathers are often given access and even residency.
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Source: theguardian.com