Freeing for adoption in Northern Ireland: A policy analysis

The freeing order is a United Kingdom procedure that enables the court to v est parental rights in an adoption agency. This permits the placement of th e child for adoption, with legal security in advance of the adoption order: Objective: To review the operation of the freeing order procedure in North ern ireland Method: A study of social workers' reports in the first 50 free ing cases of one Health and Social Services Board. Results: The procedure i s used infrequently. The process is fraught with delays resulting in very y oung children waiting long periods in temporary foster homes before moving to their adoptive placements. The children's mothers were from troubled bac kgrounds; more than a third had other children in public care or adopted. N eglect was the most common form of parenting failure. Conclusions: The curr ent legislation and procedures do not facilitate the movement of children f rom long-term public care to adaption.