At this blog I learned of a new adoption scheme being proposed by Coram, a children’s charity in the UK. The plan is as follows:
- Babies taken into care immediately after birth (substance abuse and imprisonment mentioned most commonly) are transferred to prospective adoptive parents when they are days old.
- An agreement is made between the PAPS and the natural mother through Coram about visitation and contact.
- The natural mother has one year to “get her life together” (in the parlance of these schemes) and reclaim her child.
- The charity commits to helping the natural mother do the above.
- If she can’t do the above within one year, the PAPS become the adoptive parents of said child.
The goal of this approach is to “prevent very young babies from being moved around while decisions are made about their future.” Theoretically, it could also prevent placement in a sub-standard foster home or homes, said to be at the root of attachment disorder.
According to the head of adoption at Coram, Jeanne Kaniuk,
[T]here are so many advantages it should be taken up by all children’s services departments. She said: ‘It is crazy that there are not more local authorities using concurrent planning. It is a great system for parents who want to adopt a baby, although obviously they carry all the risk and have to be quite courageous.
‘It is very sympathetic to the birth parents, who are given help and support and every chance to show they can care for their baby. It speeds up the process and a decision is made early. And, of course, it is good for the baby.’
It should be noted that only a small handful of children placed by Conram have been reunited with their original mothers. Also, there is no discussion of what happens to the adoption (how closed or open it remains) once it is finalized.
The charity is urging other jurisdictions to implement its scheme, known as concurrent planning, because it’s better for everyone, faster, and about £25,000 cheaper for the system than your average adoption.
Thoughts? Comments?
Filed under: adoption, kids, life , concurrent planning, contact, Coram, instant adoption, natural mother, PAPS, substance abuse, UK charity, visitation







