Indirect Contact(Article from PinkTape blog)

[leclerc]

The following article is on indirect contact written by Sarah Philimore:

http://www.pinktape.co.uk/rants/no-s...irect-contact/


I think point 2 is equally valid post adoption since you are allowed something called "Letterbox contact", yet there is no legal requirement for the adoptive parents to pass onto their adoptee any correspondence from it.

[Amethyst]

Re: Indirect Contact(Article from PinkTape blog)

A case I assisted my friend with resulted in an order for indirect contact. It has been in place since July and as the father wasn't allowed the mother or child's address I receive the post. I receive a letter every other week for the child which my friend does read to the child and keeps in a box for when she is older. In return my friend sends one photograph every two months. They are both rigidly sticking to the court order and the content of the letters is very minimalistic - and feels they are sent solely to meet the court order. How long it will go on for I don't know.

However, it does keep the absent parent in the child's life, however minimally, and there is an order for my friend to produce all the letters if the case returns to court, so they must be kept and therefore when the child is older they will have access to them.

This suprises me though

I looked on the Families Need Fathers website; a search for ‘indirect contact’ revealed ‘no search results could be found for query: indirect contact’.

I'd guess there are results on their forum though, but I'm not a member so can't look.

[PAWS]

Re: Indirect Contact(Article from PinkTape blog)

I was totally against limited contact when children are adopted but can see its merits thanks to you fine people!

Unless definite proof of domestic violence or other unreasonable behaviour has been presented it is simply impossible to know if a child’s reluctance to have contact with the absent parent is based on their own experiences or the present parent’s prejudices. Clive Baker’s comment ‘

My experience and indeed research shows that the vast majority ofchildren who are cared for by people other than their parents often makecontact with their parents as they grow older’

could indicate that if one parent is in sole direct or constant contact it is more likely that the child’s opinion of the absent parent is distorted or adversely influenced by that familiar parent.

Our current court system, being adversarial and not inquisitorial, does not facilitate enquiry into potential solutions.

Family law and cases/procedures still seem a bit draconian. Although things have come a long way (they blinking needed to) it is still very ‘hide bound’. I do believe that many social workers and family law experts may be very au fait with the rules and regulations but occasionally forget that they hold people lives in the palms of their hands.

[leclerc]

Re: Indirect Contact(Article from PinkTape blog)

Social workers in my experience, is find a topic and stick to it throughout the process in spite of the fact that they are talking a loads of billhooks!!!

They think they can bully you into silence when they are failing families......not all of us are prepared to be bullied.