Grandparents find children are treated as business commodities.

There are more and more abused children being taken into care by social services from homes that grandparents could look after. Children that need love and family comfort which grandparents could supply if they were not ignored by social services. This service is bursting at the seams to cope and have resorted to treating children as business commodities to get children adopted as quickly and as cheaply as possible rather than looking after the children’s real welfare with their grandparents. This is not in a child’s best interest emotionally or mentally.

One of our grannies (I cannot name her as the case is ongoing) calls me regularly to keep me up to date, she is broken hearted. A sheriff gave her contact 2hrs every eight weeks with her 4 year old grandson who is in foster care. On the last visit her grandson was taking her hand and giving her big hugs and kisses and asking “where do you live, is it a house you live in, can I come and see you.” The shock came after her last visit when the social services called her and told her that all contact was stopped. A hearing of the children’s panel had been called and it was by their recommendation.

The reason given by social services was the boy was very disruptive and upset when he left the granny and would not speak to the foster dad or the social worker. Although the granny had a court order to see him the social services had taken it upon themselves to stop contact with the magic saying, ‘to continue contact is not in the child’s best interest.'

The granny was phoning the social worker to check that her meeting with him the next day was still on when she was told her grandson had been adopted without her or the child’s mother being informed.

The heartbroken Gran said "I knew something was wrong when I got put through right away and didn't get the usual rubbish, she is not at her desk, or she is not in. I was so shocked at her attitude when she said, Have you not heard the adoption went through 3 weeks ago. I asked her if I was to see him again, the answer was, what do you think, then I don't think so, he is adopted you know" he is not now a cared for child. How callous is that in ruining a child’s life?.

The granny had just received a letter from the sheriff clerk to tell her she would be getting a court date soon for the hearing to continue her contact with the boy. Even the sheriff court had no idea this has happened and her solicitor is totally shocked.

This is adoption without consent is a terrible horrible thing to happen to this wee boy who loved his granny's visits and was looking forward to home visits with her. His young life has just been cut off from the only person who really loved him.

to say the social services had adopted the grandson without informing her or her daughter (the child’s mother) know anything about it Ends

Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1 PJ
0141 882 5658
www.grandparentsapart.co.uk