Grandparents As Parents

No rights for children and grandparents

February 2009
Headlines over the last 7 days record Social Services in the UK as having deemed grandparents of only 46 and 59 years of age too old to look after their grandchildren. Despite the children wanting to live with their grandparents, they were placed for adoption with a gay couple.
In 2008, seven national organisations wrote to the Government calling for legal rights to be granted to grandparents to ensure their involvement when children of the family are placed in care or put up for adoption. The extended family currently has no legal rights in these circumstances. The Government never replied.
This latest news story comes as no surprise to the organisations that campaign for children's rights to family life in the UK.
In March 2008, a Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM1199) called on Members of Parliament to support a change in the law. The EDM read:
'That this House believes that a child's right to family life requires greater legislative protection; further believes that there should be an expectation that ancestors and close biological relatives become parties to Family Court cases on request; further believes there should be financial support for kinship carers; further believes that biological relatives including fathers without parental responsibility, grandparents, aunts and uncles should be automatically notified of care and adoption proceedings; and calls upon the Government to respond positively to the proposals from the charities announced on 17th March in the document Grandparents' Rights - A Response to the Government.'
Of the 646 MPs, only 53 expressed their support. Sadly, it appears that 'This house does not believe that a child has a right to family life'.
The grandparents in this latest case lacked the financial resources to take on the might of Social Services. Thankfully, a millionaire benefactor has offered to fund their legal costs to assist them in their campaign to have the children remain with their biological family.
The Government refuses to respond on the issue of rights for the extended family. Given that few people now qualify for legal aid and the Government is consulting on a dramatic increase to court application fees, only the very rich will be able to afford justice, and then, only if they are fortunate to find Social Workers who understand the importance of family to children.
More information can be found at:

www.thecustodyminefield.com/21.html
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