Brave Parents' Weeklong Protest
From 12th – 16th March 2007 two brave parents protested about their treatment by Social Services calling for reform of the adoption system in the UK.
From 1000 until 1800 every day they were outside the Royal Courts of Justice – the scene of their own heartbreak when the courts refused to return their child to them and decided to put her up for adoption.
Their story first aroused interest when it was reported in The Times. Please follow this link to read the story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article759348.ece
They feel that they were victims of a system that rewards social workers for taking children off families and putting them up for adoption. This is what they say about the issue:
“The government has asked for a 40% increase in adoption and through public service agreements, some councils are fully meeting this and gaining massive financial rewards and "stars" for doing so. A result of all this has been to strongly motivate social workers to procure children suitable for adoption even if it means splitting up the very families they are meant to support and protect. They are not just trying to get children who are in care adopted, they are deliberately unjustly taking children from good decent homes on trumped up charges of abuse, and having them adopted. It is like an industry, but horrifically the commodities involved are children.”
This is their description of what it is like to go through the pain and injustice that they have had to live with these last two years:
Since we’ve had our daughter taken from us, we feel like part of us has gone. We feel very empty and we won’t be happy until justice is done. We will never be able to do what parent’s do with there children. A mother carry’s her child for nine months were she feels there child kick and move around inside. Our daughter used to make us laugh and smile, she used to say things or point when she wanted something. Our daughter’s human rights have been breached. She is still a live and it’s very frustrating knowing we can’t see her laughing, smiling and doing things that kids do. It’s like grieving, but we know she is still a live. When you grieve for someone who has died, it gets easier with time, it’s worse than this because she is still a live. Our heart’s are breaking so munch that it hurt’s. We feel a lot of pain and hurt. We hope we get her back before it is too late, and the local authority put her up for adoption."
John Hemming MP is proud to support their campaign and attended their demonstration.