LilMtnCbn
02-03-2005, 04:43 AM
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1404237,00.html
Minister to have new power to block overseas adoptions
David Batty
Wednesday February 2, 2005
The government today set out plans to block inter-country adoptions where there
are concerns that the children have been abducted by or sold to child
traffickers.
Under the proposed legislation, the education secretary would have the power to
suspend an inter-country adoption where there are concerns about the child's
welfare.
The minister would also publish a list of countries from which inter-country
adoptions would be subject to special restrictions.
This could mean that Britons would only be able to adopt children from those
countries if the child is their relative, or the sibling of a child they have
already adopted.
Anyone who breached the restrictions, set out in the draft children (contact)
and adoption bill, would face a fine and up to a year in jail.
A Department for Education and Skills spokeswoman said: "Provisions in this
draft bill about inter-country adoption are intended to provide a transparent
framework for the process by which inter-country adoptions may be suspended
from countries where there are concerns about child welfare and the
inter-country adoption process - for instance, where there is evidence of child
trafficking."
The draft bill also brings forward measures to punish mothers who breach child
contact orders to try to ensure that fewer fathers are cut out of their
children's lives after divorce.
Judges would gain wider powers to enforce orders permitting fathers to see
their children, on top of their current, rarely-used powers to fine or jail
recalcitrant parents. Those who flout the orders may be put under curfew,
ordered to do community work or forced to attend parenting classes.
Advertiser links
New Cars - Get Low Dealer Price Quotes
Rated Forbes "Best of Web" for online car buying. Get free,...
pricequotes.com
AutoCheck - Car Buying
History of trouble? Odometer fraud? Major accidents? Get the...
autocheck.com
Find Your Next Automobile at Autoweb
Find everything you need to purchase, sell or maintain an...
autoweb.com
But the main plank of the proposals is much earlier intervention before
disputes become intractable. Parents who apply to court will be sent for
mediation, provided with information about their children's needs and helped to
come up with their own parenting plans without involving the courts.
The education secretary, Ruth Kelly, said: "The draft bill will give courts
realistic and usable powers to ensure that, if a court determines that contact
is in the best interests of a child, the contact that is ordered actually takes
place."
The constitutional affairs secretary
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
Minister to have new power to block overseas adoptions
David Batty
Wednesday February 2, 2005
The government today set out plans to block inter-country adoptions where there
are concerns that the children have been abducted by or sold to child
traffickers.
Under the proposed legislation, the education secretary would have the power to
suspend an inter-country adoption where there are concerns about the child's
welfare.
The minister would also publish a list of countries from which inter-country
adoptions would be subject to special restrictions.
This could mean that Britons would only be able to adopt children from those
countries if the child is their relative, or the sibling of a child they have
already adopted.
Anyone who breached the restrictions, set out in the draft children (contact)
and adoption bill, would face a fine and up to a year in jail.
A Department for Education and Skills spokeswoman said: "Provisions in this
draft bill about inter-country adoption are intended to provide a transparent
framework for the process by which inter-country adoptions may be suspended
from countries where there are concerns about child welfare and the
inter-country adoption process - for instance, where there is evidence of child
trafficking."
The draft bill also brings forward measures to punish mothers who breach child
contact orders to try to ensure that fewer fathers are cut out of their
children's lives after divorce.
Judges would gain wider powers to enforce orders permitting fathers to see
their children, on top of their current, rarely-used powers to fine or jail
recalcitrant parents. Those who flout the orders may be put under curfew,
ordered to do community work or forced to attend parenting classes.
Advertiser links
New Cars - Get Low Dealer Price Quotes
Rated Forbes "Best of Web" for online car buying. Get free,...
pricequotes.com
AutoCheck - Car Buying
History of trouble? Odometer fraud? Major accidents? Get the...
autocheck.com
Find Your Next Automobile at Autoweb
Find everything you need to purchase, sell or maintain an...
autoweb.com
But the main plank of the proposals is much earlier intervention before
disputes become intractable. Parents who apply to court will be sent for
mediation, provided with information about their children's needs and helped to
come up with their own parenting plans without involving the courts.
The education secretary, Ruth Kelly, said: "The draft bill will give courts
realistic and usable powers to ensure that, if a court determines that contact
is in the best interests of a child, the contact that is ordered actually takes
place."
The constitutional affairs secretary
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
