Citation

Bullock R. Adopt. Foster. 2017; 41(1): 3-4.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, British Association for Adoption and Fostering, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0308575917692284

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

For many years in the UK there was an implicit agreement that child care should not be part of party political squabbles, although there was considerable competition between government departments for control, with the Home Office winning the contest when children's departments were first set up in 1948.1 But this changed in the 1970s when the government of the day responded to the perceived threat posed by young offenders by making juvenile justice a political as well as a social issue. Since then, topics such as child protection, adoption and disability have been regular items on the Westminster agenda.

We are reminded daily that the social scene in the UK is changing and established political parties no longer represent distinct economic groups. In addition, there seems to be a move across the western world to what is perceived as the political 'right'. But even then, the continuum of 'left' to 'right' seems inadequate in the light of the broader issues of nationality and anti-globalisation that have marked the Brexit, Trump and Le Pen campaigns. They suggest an anti-establishment and populist movement rather than a right-wing takeover.

So where does this incoherence leave looked after children? In my experience, children in care are affected by decisions on wider welfare issues as well as by those specific to them. I have also noticed that so-called right-wing administrations tend to highlight a few emotive issues, like historical child abuse or children's hospices...

Language: en