BBC NEWS | Programmes | BBC Parliament | Children and Adoption Bill

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

One-Minute World News

News services
Your news when you want it

RELATED BBC SITES

Last Updated: Tuesday, 5 July 2005, 10:31 GMT 11:31 UK

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version

Children and Adoption Bill

AIM

This bill provides courts with more flexible arrangements to facilitate and enforce contact arrangements between separated parents and their children.

And it provides a legal framework for suspending inter-country adoptions.

MAIN PROVISIONS

BILL'S PROGRESS

Responsible department: Dept for Education and Skills

Origin: House of Lords

Introduced: 13 June 2005

Second reading: 29 June 2005

Committee stage: 11, 12, 17 & 19 Oct 2005

Report stage: 14 Nov 2005

Third reading: 29 Nov 2005

COMMONS:

First reading: 30 Nov 2005

Second reading: 2 March 2006

Committee stage: 14, 16 & 21 March 2006

Report stage: 20 June 2006

Royal assent: 21 June 2006

Those directly involved to attend information sessions, parenting programmes, counselling or "other activities designed to deal with contact disputes"

Community based "enforcement orders" to be imposed or financial compensation awarded (for example where the cost of a holiday has been lost) where a contact order has been breached

Provides a legal framework for restrictions on inter-country adoption from specified countries with public policy concerns about the process of adoption in that country - for example the possibility of child trafficking

Allows an administrative charge to be made for the processing of inter-country adoption cases by the Department for Education and Skills

Clarification of the legal definition of harm to children so that the effects of children witnessing as well as suffering domestic violence directly are taken in to account

Pilots of a legal advice telephone helpline and of a "collaborative law" model which promotes out of court agreements

BACKGROUND

Based on the inter-departmental Green Paper Parental Separation: Children's Needs and Parent's Responsibilities published in July 2004.

The legislation does not substantially alter the terms of the Children's Act 1989, but clarifies the means of implementation and penalties to enable more flexibility for the courts.

The key principle that children benefit from contact with both parents remains - although not necessarily equal contact, which is deemed impractical.