The concept of special guardianship was introduced by the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Special guardianship orders are private law orders which give a special guardian parental responsibility for the child concerned. They provide permanence and security for those children for whom adoption is not suitable but who cannot live with their birth parents. The basic legal links between the child and his birth family are preserved. In contested cases, courts are often faced with one key question: should a child remain in care as a foster child or be made the subject of a special guardianship order or be adopted?

Adoption and Special Guardianship: A Permanency Handbook brings together, for the first time in a single volume, the law and procedure relating to adoption with that of special guardianship.

This unique work examines recent case-law, alongside the policy that underpins the legislation, including socio-legal research on how the law operates and social research on the needs of children. Adoption and Special Guardianship: A Permanency Handbook also examines the fundamental and common issues concerning the importance of the child's relationship with his birth family, contact with them after the order is made, and the impact on the child of remaining in care.

His Honour Judge John Mitchell

• A New Approach to Adoption: Adoption and Children Act 2002
• Adoption
• Placement Orders and Parental Consent
• International Aspects of Adoption
• Special Guardianship Orders
• The Welfare Test and Human Rights
• Regulation of Adoption
• Assessment - Adoption
• Support - Adoption
• Assessment - Special Guardianship
• Support - Special Guardianship
• The Importance of the Birth Family
• Contact
• Permanency and Step-parents
• The Child in Care
• Making the Choice
• Procedure: Adoption
• Procedure: Special Guardianship
• Appeals
• Costs  

Appendices

• Statutory material
• Procedural Rules
• Adoption Circular LAC(98)20
• The Adoption Act 1976
• Useful Addresses

"a highly valuable harvesting of the questions and some of the answers to them that have arisen in this area of child law in the 4 years since the Adoption and Children Act 2002 was implemented"
Family Law

"readers will not be disappointed ... an essential addition to every family lawyer's library ... the balanced text offers valuable insight ... I am in no doubt that the author's views will be cited on the hearing of future appeals"
From the foreword by The Rt Hon Lord Justice Thorpe

"worth every single penny ... author writes with clear authority ... explains the political considerations and offers  comprehensive case studies/case precedents ... useful appendices as well as some helpful addresses"
Professional Social Work

"This book is comprehensive, well laid out and would be of real benefit to anyone practising in this area.. This is a complete point of reference for the busy practitioner"
ALC 'click here for a full review'