JenniGee

Good grief...I go a way for a while, come back & you're all talking behind my back

Thanks FA for being there Bermudashorts, I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with you in that of course there should be due process & safeguards & taking a child away from the other parent should never be treated as a casual, or easy thing.

However, the system we have at the moment certainly seems flawed & open to abuse in my experience, not least because of the length of time everything takes, thus allowing the children involved to be subjected to quite unacceptable pressure & upset, which wouldn't happen if the process was somehow made more efficient.

One thing I would suggest, from my own experience & from talking to others (both mums & dads) is that once the process has started, Cafcass should be involved immediately (maybe even before proceedings have been issued to the absent parent) to find out the wishes of the child & then, neither parent, nor family members should be allowed to pressurise the children involved in order to try & get them to change their minds about the decision they have already stated to the Cafcass official.

I would also just say, I dont think any parent, that can see their children has a close & loving relationship with a caring, responsible absent parent (mum or dad) would want to take the child away from that other parent. However, unfortunately not all absent parents are like this & so of course in these situations, the parent with care should be able to make decisions about their kids.

It's a tough one.