Making Sense of the New Adoption Law: A Guide for Social and Welfare Services - Softcover

"Well researched using case studies and recent case law... explores a number of themes whereby adoption, once the exclusive property of a small number of professionals, has now been in a very public spotlight... enables practitioners to dip in and out for relevant topics as necessary. The chapter on the adoption of looked-after children is the main focus of the book and is particularly useful... The book is worth reading for this chapter alone... comprehensive and readable... useful reading for social workers, Panel members, foster carers and trainers." --Seen and Heard.

This book has been written primarily for child care practitioners who require a clear account of what the Adoption and Children Act 2002 contains and how the Act - and subsequent regulations and guidance - continue to have changing impact on agency policy and practice. It also explains the ideas behind these changes, and sets them in context. The first edition was acclaimed. "This is a practical and very readable book." - "Association of Lawyers for Children Newsletter". "It takes a thematic approach, which makes it easier to understand the complexity of the new legislation...arranged well, and explains clearly how the new legislation affects policy and practice...a very useful source book for individual study and reference." - "Care & Health". This revised second edition incorporates extended references to the many sets of regulations and guidance documents issued by the Government in the run-up to full implementation of the Act at the end of 2005. It explains how they fit into the new statutory framework of adoption law. It brings readers fully up-to-date. It helps readers understand how the Adoption and Children Act 2002 has had the effect of recasting the whole of adoption law in England and Wales. According to the Government, the Act will be 'of lasting significance to thousands of children and their new families'. It creates 'an essential framework to safeguard the welfare of the child and support adoptive families'. This new legislation - and indeed the regulations and guidance - are, however, far more detailed and complex than what went before. Furthermore, the Act's passage through Parliament was attended by considerable controversy. The new law took more than ten years to finalise and throughout this period a wide variety of forceful opinions on adoption were expressed. This book seeks to explain the various controversies and place them in a wider social and political context. It will help you in your work and in achieving the legislation's aim of ensuring 'that the adoption service is fairer and more efficient'.