CHILD PROTECTION RESPONSES: NO EASY CHOICES

Abstract

This is a comment on the article by Stephen Gay in this volume entitled ‘The Choice Between Adoption and Foster Care as Child Protection Responses’. It strongly supports the conclusion drawn in the primary article that a ‘blanket approach to adoption’ is unlikely to result in the best outcomes for all children in need of care. This response is based on the author’s reflections and observations of the delivery of ‘out of home care’ services over many years as a social worker with an interest in child development. It reflects on the simplistic attitudes expressed in the media and by the public in general when children have been removed and are negatively affected by their experiences in care, as well as when they are not removed and have sustained injury or death at the hands of those who are charged with their care. The article argues that the likelihood of achieving optimal outcomes in child protection is often compromised and concludes that it is time that Australia stepped up to the challenge of establishing creative and innovative options for children in need of care.