SOCIAL POLICY

Social Policy Case Study

Social policy Case Study

Introduction

This paper intends to explore the case study that revolves around a social policy. The major focus of this paper is to analyze a case of two lesbians Jacqui and Anne who are 42 and 40 years. They intend to adopt a child and for that purpose they went to Norfolf Adoption and Family Finding Unit about three years ago. However, to their disappointment they were turned down after the interview but they did not disclose the reason. This paper shall examine the obstacles to Jacqui and Anne adopting a child, further this paper also discusses a number of policies and campaigns relating to adoption and fostering that was introduced since 1999.

Discussion

Since Jacqui and Jane are not a normal married couple but they are lesbians so they may face some trouble in adopting a child. Further, if law offers lesbians a right for adoption, then other factors shall be analyzed if the they both are capable enough to adopt and raise a child on their own. Usually when any normal married couple goes for adoption, the things that are seen by the authorities are if they have enough earning to support the child in terms of his education, and other basic necessities. Further, the case states that Jacqui works in a supermarket and earns £15,000 on annual basis, while the other partner is self employed and makes furniture to order. In addition to this, they have always lived in a village and they do not have any car.

In my opinion the fact that they are of same sex may not have bothered Norfolf Adoption and Family Finding, but the reason that caused them to reject their request of adopting maybe that their both combined income may not be adequate to provide a good life to the child. In addition to this, they cannot afford to keep a car, which may further pose difficulties in raising the child. Their family background must not have impressed the local authorities much to consider them as potential foster parents.

In the UK the adoption of children by same-sex couples is legal as a result of 'Adoption and Children Act 2002, the law that opened the joint adoption of children to unmarried couples of the opposite sex and the same sex in England and Wales, and of 'Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007, the law approved by a large majority of the members of the Parliament of Scotland in the course of 2006 that aligned the Scottish legislation on joint adoption lower than that of England and Wales. Prior to these reforms, each member of these couples could adopt, but the children were children of single parents and the partner was excluded from parenting and had no family relationship with his son (adoption.org.uk).

The Northern Ireland is now the only part of the UK that does not allow same-sex couples to adopt children, as in the past in the rest of the country; gays and lesbians in Northern ...