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Conclusion
There are no further steps taken in the Children's Service other than
to remind all Child Care Officers to be on the alert at all times for symptoms
of ill-treatment or ill-health, and to arrange for urgent medical
examinations in all cases where they have doubts, This is the subject
of frequent reminders at staff meetings and, having regard to the medical
arrangements, the reporting done on the children boarded-out, and the
examination of such reports by Senior Child Care Officers, it is hoped
there will be little risk of situations arising which would cause concern.
Adoption
Hammersmith Children's Department Adoption Agency began to function in
January 1966 with the appointment of an Adoptions Officer and a part-time
Child Care Officer, working mainly with the unmarried mothers, has now
been added to the staff.
As private Adoption Agencies are free to choose the kind of child they
will accept for placement and usually only consider babies with uncomplicated
backgrounds, it has meant that Hammersmith Adoption Agency has tried
to place the children with more difficult backgrounds. If the.Adoption
Agency had not come into existence it is likely that most of the children
placed for adoption would have had to be received into care.
The children placed often have poor medical, psychiatric or social
histories. A large proportion of the children have parents of mixed races.
Because we have "Difficult" children to place we need to consider each
prospective couple of likely adopters on their own merits. Hence we have
no set rules regarding the eligibility of the adopters. We feel that the
couple who comply with the legal requirements and have a stable and
happy marriage which can expand to include adopted children, and offer
love, and good care, make the most suitable adopters. In the past, adoption
agencies tended to lay down stringent qualifications as to the age,
religious background, and the number of children already in a family.
This new approach does not mean we do not consider these factors, but that
we have widened our approach, so that our main consideration is the welfare
and happiness of the child.

H.4