Books, booklets & multimedia

Right from the Start - Best practice in adoption planning for babies and other children

	Price: £7.95 48 pages A4	BAAF, September 2003 ISBN 978-1-903699-48-5

The practice of formal adoption in the UK spans three-quarters of a century and has seen huge and continuing changes. The most significant of these has been the number and age profile of children placed: while adoption was once synonymous with babies, "relinquishing" parents and infertile couples, today it is mostly older children who are likely to be placed with families who choose adoption for a wide variety of reasons.

But despite the shift in emphasis and the accompanying developments in policy and practice in child placement, there are some babies - indeed, a growing number - that need adoption. How well is this now carried out? Given the specific circumstances of older children who need adoption, has baby adoption become a largely forgotten art?

In this guide, the authors examine how adoption practice has evolved and chart the changes; evaluate which aspects of former practice might be adapted for current use; explore the perspectives and needs of all the key players in the adoption scenario, and suggest a model of good practice in a modern context. Conclusions and recommendations, as well as how to best offer adoption support to all parties involved, are also included.

The authors offer a comprehensive exploration of planning for babies, which will also contribute to the development of good practice in adoption planning for all children. Informative and educative, it will provide practitioners, policy makers and adoption managers with a firm foundation from which to plan the best placements for babies.