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The aim of the Children's Service Adoption Agency is to build up a waiting list of
adopters so that wherever possible appropriate children can be placed direct without prior
reception into care.
3. The Children's Sub-Committee:
At the present time when children "In care* are placed with approved adopters they are
initially boarded out as foster-children "With a view to adoption*. The length of boarding-out
period varies according to the special circumstances of the placement. When the Child Care
Officer concerned is satisfied with the progress of the child in his new home, a full report and
recommendation for adoption is submitted to the Children's Sub-Committee. Following approval,
the applicants are informed that they can proceed with their application to adopt. From this date
all boarding out payments cease and the child becomes a " Protected" child.
4. The Mother:
i) Referrals:
Expectant mothers are usually referred by Medical Social Workers and Moral Welfare
Workers. Pregnant schoolgirls are referred by the Children's Worker of the Care
Committee. There are also a number of girls who come to the Child Care Officer of
their own volition.
There is a continuous flow of referrals to this Service as the Borough is blessed with
a large number of maternity beds.Many women come from all parts of the British Isles
to have their babies in London. It is estimated that in Queen Charlotte's Hospital
alone 600 illegitimate babies are bom every year. Women living outside the Borough
are not normally eligible for help with adoption.
A proportion of the mothers referred are married women who have conceived the babies
outside the marriage.
ii) Procedure:
Wherever possible expectant mothers are seen by the Adoptions Officer who either
refers them elsewhere or recommen ds to the Panel that their cass be taken on.Detailed
health and social history is taken and case work with her continues until the baby
is born when the mother may decide to keep the child.
Where expectant mothers wanting adoption for their babies are girls in care or women
already known to the Service, the Child Care Officer concerned continues casework
with them. In all cases the Adoptions Officer sees the mother at least once prior to
her child's placement to tell her at first hand about the adopters.
Some expectant mothers under 17 will be received into care during the period of their
pregnancy and the majority of these young girls go to a Mother and Baby Home for the
last months or weeks of their pregnancy and remain for six weeks after their confinements.
Others under 17 continue to live with their families and receive intensive
c asework support during this time.
Most of the older women are able to stay on at their homes or lodgings during pregnancy.
When the baby is born the mother is seen as soon as possible after the confinement
and if she wishes to proceed with adoption, plans are discussed. Some mothers are
prepared to take the baby home for the first six weeks and when suitable adopters are
available the baby is then placed. Before placement it may be necessary to give help
with clothing and in exceptional cases payment in cash under Section 1 of the Children
& Young Persons Act, 1963, to prevent reception into care.
In the majority of cases, however, the mother parts from her baby on her discharge
from hospital. 94