In the News
A chance to catch up with articles and features published in the media that focus on subjects relevant to our work.
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Stella English: I had no future.. my foster mum saved my life Daily Mirror Monday, 14 May, 2012 Every 22 minutes a child has to be put into foster care. Here, the fostered Apprentice star shares her story. View this article on The Mirror’s website |
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Care crisis for children The Independent Sunday, 13 May, 2012 Fostering is not the only part of the child care system in crisis ("Fostering system on the brink as number of children in care soars", 6 May). Children's homes also face increasing problems.... |
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Foster Care Fortnight The Times Friday, 11 May, 2012 A child becomes in need of a foster family every 22 minutes in the UK, which means 8,750 new foster families will be needed this year alone, according to a report by the Fostering Network. The... |
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Support parents to make adoption system a success Wales Online Thursday, 10 May, 2012 THE success of the adoption system in Wales will hinge on the support given to parents, a leading charity said a day after the UK Government unveiled plans to accelerate the process.... |
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Fostering: 'All I wanted was a family to look after me' BBC News Monday, 7 May, 2012 Charity The Fostering Network has warned that the UK needs an estimated 8,750 more foster carers to head off a foster care crisis. Clare Marshall, who went through more than 40 different foster... |
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Lisa Nandy: Foster carers should get more money for the work they do The Independent Monday, 7 May, 2012 The right fostering placement can completely transform children's lives. It can be the make or break point for them and equally it can be devastating for a young person to be put into the wrong... |
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Fostering system on the brink as number of children in care soars The Independent Monday, 7 May, 2012 New research shows a dramatic increase in the number of children and young people taken into care each year following the Baby P case, which has put unprecedented pressure on the existing... |
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How Toyota taught London a Lean lesson in childcare The Times Friday, 4 May, 2012 Running the children’s services department of a busy London local authority is a serious job by anyone’s standards. But in an extraordinary experiment borne out of the deep spending cuts facing... |
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Oona King: the former mayoral candidate talks about adoption London Evening Standard Wednesday, 2 May, 2012 As she welcomes a third baby, Oona King talks to Rosamund Urwin about motherhood, the struggles of adoption and why she’ll be voting for her old opponent in the mayoral electionAs she welcomes... |
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Expert witnesses ‘putting children at risk' The Times Tuesday, 1 May, 2012 The safety of some of the country’s most vulnerable children is being put at risk by the “industry” of expert witnesses that has sprung up in the family courts, according to a leading expert.“... |
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Identify leaders in field The Times Tuesday, 1 May, 2012 Analysis by Rosie Bennett,A decade ago, family court judges made their decisions on whether to take a child into care largely on the word of a social worker. These days it is a lot more... |
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Child protection reforms raise fear of “postcode lottery" The Times Tuesday, 24 April, 2012 Progress made in protecting children from abuse and harm since the death of Baby P risks being undone by the Government’s NHS reforms, hospital chiefs will warn today.They say that confused and... |
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Outdated child neglect law fails to protect, charities say The Times Monday, 23 April, 2012 The 80-year-old law on child neglect must be overhauled to protect children from being badly fed, left alone at home, not educated or belittled and bullied by their parents, two leading... |
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I gave my baby to my sister The Guardian Saturday, 21 April, 2012 One couple had three children. The other had none. Together, they conceived an amazing plan. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Forty-eight years after giving my daughter up for adoption a TV show found her again for me Daily Mail Monday, 16 April, 2012 Brenda Rhensius' fruitless search ended when she contacted ITV1 show Long Lost Family and a few months later Joanne had been found. View this article on the Mirror’s website |
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The Baby P Effect: Applications for children to be taken into care hit a record 10,000 The Sun Thursday, 12 April, 2012 SHOCKING figures show a record number of applications from local councils to take children into care in the past 12 months. David Holmes interviewed. View this article on The Sun’s website |
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Call for adoption drive to focus on support over speed The Guardian Tuesday, 3 April, 2012 Placing a child with a loving secure family is vital, but for many children their problems do not suddenly end there. David Holmes is quoted in the article. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Adoption: Ofsted report says courts are biggest cause of delay BBC News Monday, 2 April, 2012 The most significant cause of delay for children needing adoption in England is the length of time taken by court proceedings, a report by Ofsted says. View this article on the BBC’s website |
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Can a homosexual person adopt his or her partner's child? The Guardian Monday, 2 April, 2012 No - at least not in France. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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I waited 43 years for a hug from my mum The Scotsman Saturday, 31 March, 2012 FORTY-THREE years ago, teenage mum Fabia Barr sobbed on her doorstep as she gave her six-month-old son Mark Appleson up for adoption. View this article on The Scottish Sun's website |
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What I'm really thinking: the father of adopted children The Guardian Friday, 30 March, 2012 'Lurking beneath the compliments is a real judgment about our kids; as if they're a different breed of child and OK only because we've managed to tame them' View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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I had to give up my baby for adoption The Guardian Saturday, 17 March, 2012 As an unmarried teenager in 1964, Angela Patrick was not allowed to keep her baby. But one day, 30 years later, she received a letter View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Lisa Faulkner: It took three IVF attempts before I realised I didn't need to give birth to be a mum Daily Mirror Thursday, 15 March, 2012 As Lisa looks forward to Mothering Sunday with her beautiful daughter Billie, she reveals why, for so many years, it was a heartbreaking day for her. View this article on The Mirror’s website |
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Local authorities to have scorecards for adoption BBC News Wednesday, 14 March, 2012 Local authorities are to be issued scorecards to measure how quickly they place children for adoption. Under a new government action plan for adoption in England, potential adopters will have... |
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Councils face scorecards in adoption overhaul The Guardian Wednesday, 14 March, 2012 Government aims to hold local authorities to account and halve the time taken to place a child with an adoptive family. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Councils to be scored on adoption The Independent Wednesday, 14 March, 2012 Councils are to be issued with scorecards laying bare how long they take to find adoptive parents for children in care. View this article on The Independent’s website |
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From Grandad's brass band to the Creme Eggs Mum left by my pillow, my family made me who I am. Yet not one of them is my flesh and blood Daily Mail Tuesday, 13 March, 2012 Novelist kaye Bond shares her adoption story. View this article on the Daily Mail’s website |
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Social Work Day 2012: The councils leading the changes in children's services The Guardian Tuesday, 13 March, 2012 The Munro report set out a blueprint to improve child protection, now some councils are applying its ideas. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Children leaving care say they are 'poorly prepared' for adult life The Guardian Monday, 12 March, 2012 Survey finds almost half think they are made to leave care too early, but 61% feel time in care has improved their lives. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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'The pain of childbirth was nothing compared to what would follow' Daily Mail Sunday, 11 March, 2012 In 1963, when Angela Patrick was 19 and enjoying her first job, she found herself expecting a baby following a brief fling. To hide the ‘shame’ of being unmarried and pregnant, she was sent by... |
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Schools concerned about child neglect The Guardian Monday, 5 March, 2012 Teachers are worried about an increase in child neglect that they are ill-equipped to deal with. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Government aims to clear adoption hurdles The Independent Thursday, 23 February, 2012 Adoption reforms. Following Michael Gove’s speech yesterday several media outlets are covering the story. View this article on The Independent’s website |
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Adoption must go back to being about children, Gove says The Times Wednesday, 22 February, 2012 Social workers are still refusing to place children in care with adoptive parents from different racial or cultural backgrounds, Michael Gove will say today. |
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Interview with BAAF Patrons Clare Grogan and Andrew Barton OK magazine Tuesday, 14 February, 2012 The songstress and the snipper on star pals, turning 50 and adoption at Leon de Bruxelles View this article on OK’s website |
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Baby P fear drives rise in child care orders The Guardian Thursday, 9 February, 2012 Budgets are shrinking and demand rising for social services to intervene before families reach crisis point View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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'Shambolic system’ denies foster children a stable home The Times Tuesday, 24 January, 2012 Thousands of children in foster care are missing out on a stable and secure home because of a shambolic system in need of reform, a report has warned. View this article on The Time's website |
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'Shambolic system’ denies foster children a stable home The Times Tuesday, 24 January, 2012 Thousands of children in foster care are missing out on a stable and secure home because of a shambolic system in need of reform, a report has warned. View this article on The Time's website |
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Social workers and police 'powerless' to intervene in child neglect cases The Daily Telegraph Monday, 23 January, 2012 Children are at risk of neglect because the authorities feel “powerless” to intervene and protect them, a study warns. View this article on The Telegraph’s website |
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Social workers feel powerless to protect neglected children The Independent Monday, 23 January, 2012 Report warns of unduly high thresholds and inadequate resources to support needy families. View this article on The Independent’s website |
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A stable routine to a happy childhood The Guardian Wednesday, 18 January, 2012 On a day at the seaside last summer, David Wren watched a father and his son playing crazy golf in the sunshine. "They just looked so happy together. I turned to my partner and said: 'I want a... |
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Removing a child is terrible The Guardian Saturday, 14 January, 2012 Sallyanne Jones is a social worker who specialises in child protection. Where she finds neglect, abuse or cruelty, she may have to split families up. Now she has a baby of her own, does she... |
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Needs of older children in care forgotten, Barnardo's chief claims Children & Young People Now Monday, 9 January, 2012 Older children in care risk being overlooked for adoption because of a focus on finding placements for babies and younger children, the charity Barnardo's has warned. View this article on Children & Young People Now’s website |
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Fostering asylum seekers: Their past is a foreign country The Independent Tuesday, 20 December, 2011 Anne King has fostered children for two decades. But she found looking after young asylum seekers more challenging – and rewarding – than she could ever have imagined View this article on The Independent’s website |
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Foreign adoptions plummet as countries closed off to couples Independent (Ireland) Thursday, 15 December, 2011 THE number of children adopted from abroad in Ireland has fallen dramatically in the past year, the Irish Independent has learned. There were just 200 inter-country adoptions between January... |
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Cameron puts £400m into helping families out of 'responsibility deficit' The Guardian Thursday, 15 December, 2011 The cash is part of the government's response to the summer riots and will fund a national network of family caseworkers View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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TV Review: The Truth about Adoption: Panorama The Times Thursday, 15 December, 2011 This was a vital picture of a terrible mess: an adoption system in which injustice too often befalls delightful children. View this article on The Time’s website |
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The Truth About Adoption Daily Mirror Wednesday, 14 December, 2011 Sisters Katie and Chloe have been waiting to be adopted since Katie was a baby. Katie is now six and Chloe nearly 10, but their case is far from unusual. To find out why adoption takes so long... |
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Decision of a lifetime Children & Young People Now Tuesday, 13 December, 2011 Politicians have not pulled their punches in highlighting what they regard as the failings of the adoption system of late. David Holmes is interviewed in the piece. View this article on Children & Young People Now’s website |
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The anguish of adoption delays is exposed by TV documentary The Times Monday, 12 December, 2011 The human cost of Britain’s failing adoption system is laid bare in a new BBC documentary about six children who are waiting to find permanent new homes. |
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Child poverty commission launched in Milton Keynes The Guardian Wednesday, 23 November, 2011 A shift in government thinking on child poverty will fail to tackle the problem, says former Sure Start boss. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Find prospective adopters bigger homes, councils told The Times Friday, 18 November, 2011 Couples in council housing who are trying to adopt will be helped to find larger homes in an attempt by ministers to ease their way. View this article on The Time’s website |
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Woman abandoned as a baby in a carrier bag still hopes to find her birth mother Daily Mirror Wednesday, 16 November, 2011 As a newborn, Michelle Rooney was abandoned in a carrier bag 43 years ago tomorrow. But she still dreams of finding her birth mother who disappeared without a trace. View this article on the Mirror’s website |
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Letter to Guardian Editor about child protection register The Guardian Wednesday, 16 November, 2011 Letter from Dr Liz Davies, Reader in child protection, London Metropolitan University regarding child protection register. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Donor-conception: 'I'd got to the bottom of a secret' The Guardian Saturday, 5 November, 2011 People conceived with donated sperm usually find out only in adulthood. And many never discover the truth at all View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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Silent Witness The Times Friday, 4 November, 2011 It feels like 1,001 people are dealing with your case, but no one really knows you.” That is what one child told the Family Justice Review chaired by David Norgrove, and it is an eloquent... |
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Terence Blacker: Alarmism that's no help to children The Times Friday, 4 November, 2011 One of the side-effects of living in a sensation-hungry culture is that the stoked emotionalism of tabloid headlines has become respectable. Not only do politicians prefer to go for feeling... |
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Adopted children to get choice of schools The Times Thursday, 3 November, 2011 Adopted children will be guaranteed a place at the primary and secondary schools of their choice from 2013. The change ends an anomaly in the schools admissions code that gives priority... |
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Cuts in legal aid will delay adoption cases The Times Thursday, 3 November, 2011 Selection of letters to the Times editor re adoption View this article on The Time’s website |
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Adoption and David Cameron Stylist Wednesday, 2 November, 2011 A Stylist reader interviews David Cameron on adoption View this article on Stylist’s website |
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Children to be saved from ‘scandalous’ court delays under culture change in care system The Times Wednesday, 2 November, 2011 Adoptions and placing children in care or with foster parents will be speeded up under plans to be published tomorrow to end the “shocking” scandal of delays in the family courts. View this article on The Time’s website |
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We must aim to beat a six-month adoption deadline The Times Wednesday, 2 November, 2011 Adoption finds itself top of the political agenda this week, and rightly so. It can transform the lives of our most vulnerable children. View this article on The Time’s website |
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Yes, adoption should be speeded up, but the Times is simplistic The Guardian Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 Adoption is a unique blend of losses and gains that requires complex solutions – not the kind that make snappy headlines. View this article on The Guardian’s website |
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National Adoption Week BBC News Monday, 31 October, 2011 BAAF’s director of Policy Research and Development , interviewed on BBC breakfast about national adoption week and the prime ministers announcements. View this article on BBC New’s website |
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Adoption debate Channel 4 News Monday, 31 October, 2011 BAAF’S chief executive David Holmes and Stefan Whitehead an adoptive parent are speaking about adoption and the current adoptive system on Channel 4 News. View this article on Channel 4 New’s website |
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Interview with Louise Hocking and Sinitta ITV This Morning Monday, 31 October, 2011 BAAF's director of Child Placement is talking about adoption with sinitta on the This Morning show. View this article on ITV’s website |
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Mumsnet Talk Mumsnet Monday, 31 October, 2011 Catch up on the live chat. View this article on Mumsnet’s website |
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Could you give a kid a home? The Sun Monday, 31 October, 2011 Children featured as part of national adoption week. View this article on The Sun's website |
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Recurrent patterns of failings in baby abuse cases, warns Ofsted The Guardian Wednesday, 26 October, 2011 Agencies carrying out inadequate pre-birth risk assessments and placing too much focus on mother's needs at expense of child. View this article on the guardian’s website |
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Ministers to end adoption ‘scandal’ Daily Mirror Sunday, 23 October, 2011 Ministers are launching a campaign to end Britain’s adoption logjam and help thousands of children find new families. View this article on sun Mirror’s website |
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David Cameron in new drive to speed up adoption The Daily Telegraph Saturday, 22 October, 2011 David Cameron will within days launch a new drive to make adoption simpler and speedier and to improve the educational opportunities for children in care. View this article on The Telegraph’s website |
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Can I adopt someone who is over 18? The Guardian Saturday, 22 October, 2011 Reader asks for advice on how to make someone they helped bring-up feel more secure as part of their family? BAAF’s Alexandra Conroy-Harris give’s her advice as part of the Guardrian’s... |
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Gove urges local authorities to 'intervene more vigorously' to speed adoptions The Daily Telegraph Friday, 21 October, 2011 Local authorities should "intervene more vigorously" in child protection to help speed up the adoption process, according to Michael Gove, the Education Secretary View this article on the Telegraph’s website |
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Someone else’s child: Radio series on adoption & fostering BBC News Tuesday, 18 October, 2011 First of 5 programmes talking to people with foster care and adoption connections View this programme on BBC radio’s website |
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Five children a day held trying to get into the UK... and a third of them aren't accompanied by an adult Daily Mail Tuesday, 18 October, 2011 Nearly 700 held for up to 24 hours in just four months. View this article on Daily Mail’s website |
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Real life: We thought we were the perfect choice for adoptive parents – but we didn't even get past the first hurdle Daily Mirror Tuesday, 18 October, 2011 With a comfortable home, a growing business and an awful lot of love to give, Ian and Shari Royle hoped they would be welcomed with open arms when they applied to adopt a child. |
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Expert demands national adoption agency The Times Monday, 17 October, 2011 Local authorities should be stripped of their powers to run adoption services and the job given to a new national agency, according to the head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child... |
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China Orphanages 'Buy Babies' For Adoption Sky news Friday, 14 October, 2011 Chinese orphanages may still be buying babies and offering them for foreign adoption despite a series of recent scandals, Sky News has discovered. View this article on Sky New’s website |
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Adoption Advisor visits Harrow The Times Wednesday, 12 October, 2011 Adoption Advisor to the Government visited Harrow yesterday as part of a nationwide review into the system. View this article on The Time’s website |
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The ten best parenting books The Independent Tuesday, 11 October, 2011 Ten best parenting books chosen by the Independent including BAAF publication “Facing Up to Face Book”. View this article on The Independant’s website |
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Helping UK families adopt Manchester University Monday, 10 October, 2011 Psychologists work with British Association for Adoption and Fostering. View this article on Manchester University’s website |
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A letter to my foster brother The Guardian Saturday, 8 October, 2011 Your arrival was unconventional and unexpected. My mother and aunt had gone to the funeral of a distant relative, and an argument began over who was going to get landed with the boy the old... |
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Activity Placement Days The Guardian Monday, 3 October, 2011 'Adoption parties' went out of favour in the UK in the 1980s. Critics said they were 'cattle markets' for kids, and new family-finding methods were tried. But as figures this week reveal a drop... |
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Floella Benjamin: My family values The Guardian Saturday, 1 October, 2011 Interview with Floella Benjamin who was privately fostered. View this article on The Guardian's website |
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Adoptions will rise from now, insists head of court service The Times Friday, 30 September, 2011 There will be far more adoptions in England this year than last, according to the head of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, who said that “a corner has been turned” in... |
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Adoption of Children falling by 5% BBC News Thursday, 29 September, 2011 The number of children in care adopted in England has fallen, according to Department for Education figures. View this article on the BBC website |
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Adoption statistics for England The Guardian Thursday, 29 September, 2011 What’s happening to adoptions in England? View this article on The Guardian's website |
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Children's spending on special guardianship orders rises sharply Community Care Wednesday, 28 September, 2011 Council spending on special guardianship orders is set to increase massively this year, sparking concerns it is at the expense of adoption support. View this article on the Community Care website |
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Kent cancer woman Karen Adams searches for mother BBC News Tuesday, 23 August, 2011 A terminally ill mother of three who was adopted as a baby hopes to be reunited with her birth mother before she dies. Visit the BBC News website for full article |
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Successful fostering of black and ethnic minority children Community Care Tuesday, 23 August, 2011 Community Care Inform and the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) examine the arguments for placing children according to their cultural backgrounds. By Savita De Sousa, Roana... |
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Our four years of heartache as we battled to adopt our precious boys The Sun Thursday, 18 August, 2011 Every child deserves to grow up in a loving family home. Yet every year at least 1,000 children in care miss out on the chance to be adopted because local authorities and social workers are too... |
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Gregory's Girl star tells how adoption ended her 10-year baby hell Scottish Daily Record Monday, 13 December, 2010 AFTER 10 years of trying, six miscarriages and four failed IVF attempts, Clare Grogan feared she might never be a mother. But then a chance encounter with a pal who had adopted a son... |
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A year in the life of a foster parent The Guardian Saturday, 27 November, 2010 One month it's a lying, stealing teenager, the next a little boy afraid of crowds and tomatoes. How does it feel, not knowing which strangers' child will come through your door next? Read full article |
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'My mum said I must give up my baby' The Guardian Saturday, 27 November, 2010 Liz Bestic hears the heartbreaking stories of three women who had their children adopted and went looking for them years later. Read article in full |
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Long waits for adoption have nothing to do with ethnic matching The Guardian Thursday, 18 November, 2010 Ratna Dutt, chief excutive of the Race Equality Foundation, is a qualified social worker and chairs an adoption panel. Read her response to the Guardian G2's article 'The truth about inter-... |
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Will you be our Mum and Dad The Sun Monday, 1 November, 2010 TODAY is the start of National Adoption Week, highlighting the plight of the 4,000 children in the UK who need a family. For the eighth year running The Sun has teamed up with the British... |
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Facebook to add child protection ‘panic button’ The Guardian Monday, 12 July, 2010 Application offering link to Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will be advertised to users aged 13 to 18 Read full article |
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Abandoned The Guardian Thursday, 8 July, 2010 After a childhood in care, Andrea Adams was ill-equipped to fend for herself and was quickly consumed by despair. Julie Bindel reports... |
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'Forced adoption' is a hidden tragedy The Daily Telegraph Saturday, 12 June, 2010 There is a great tragedy unfolding, involving thousands of families across Britain. Read full article |
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Overhaul of child protection will put social workers back on frontline The Guardian Friday, 11 June, 2010 A major review of the child protection system will slash the bureaucracy faced by social workers to allow them to spend more time building relationships with vulnerable families, the government... |
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Government orders review of child protection in England The Guardian Thursday, 10 June, 2010 An independent review of child protection and social work in England has been ordered by the government. Read full article |
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Abuse affecting ‘1 in 10 children’ The Metro Wednesday, 19 May, 2010 One in ten British children is being abused or neglected at home and most are ignored by social workers, as well as the country’s politicians, charities are claiming. |
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Adoptive mum and BAAF volunteer reaches final of Sun’s Wondermum competition The Sun Wednesday, 19 May, 2010 EVERY year LiveIt celebrates Britain's most amazing mums - and today we salute the six 2010 Wondermum finalists, chosen from thousands of your nominations. The tireless work and dedication of... |
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It’s your lost big brother The Sun Wednesday, 19 May, 2010 Article about new TV show hosted by Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall that helps reunites families. It mentions that Nicky is a BAAF patron. |
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The fostering revolution that aims to tame the tantrums The Times Wednesday, 19 May, 2010 An office block in Dudley is an unlikely place to launch a revolution, but a new style of fostering there called Flipside is little short of ground-breaking. |
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Foster carers wanted – including single adults Western Mail Wednesday, 19 May, 2010 Unmarried adults and those without children of their own are being targeted to help bolster foster care services in a Welsh county struggling to attract potential foster parents. |
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No place like home The Independent Tuesday, 18 May, 2010 Modern Family, in which a gay couple bring up a baby, is winningly fresh television, says Gerard Gilbert – and shows how domestic sitcoms can offer radical reflections on society. |
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Foster families shortage for Scots children The Scotsman Monday, 17 May, 2010 Thousands of children in Scotland are not experiencing proper foster care because of a dramatic shortage in foster families. The Fostering Network has revealed today that Scotland needs an... |
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Deported child trafficker sneaks back for cash bid Daily Express Friday, 14 May, 2010 A convicted baby trafficker banned from Britain was arrested yesterday after she sneaked back into the country to claim thousands of pounds at an employment tribunal. |
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Tell me who I am, pleads top scientist abandoned as a baby The Scotsman Friday, 30 April, 2010 A leading geneticist who was abandoned as a baby has returned to Scotland to see the doorstep where his mother left him. |
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My long lost transsexual sibling Daily Mail Monday, 12 April, 2010 had two shocks when I found out about my adopted half-sister. The first was that she existed. I was 15 in the late 70s when, during the course of my parents' bitter divorce, I found out that... |
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Is Lisa out there? The Guardian Saturday, 10 April, 2010 I had two shocks when I found out about my adopted half-sister. The first was that she existed. I was 15 in the late 70s when, during the course of my parents' bitter divorce, I found out that... |
