Families and campaigners are rejoicing after major changes were made to adoption laws in Northern Ireland. According to Belfast Live, the bill overhauling the adoption system passed its final hurdle on Tuesday, March 15, in the Assembly and will soon become law upon receiving its Royal assent.
One of the key changes that the bill will address is the introduction of a statutory responsibility to support and assess the ongoing needs of adopted children. The new legislation will also put timeframes for the stages of the adoption proceedings to shorten delays in the system.
Health Minister Robin Swann, who tabled this particular bill, welcomed the first update of adoption laws in Northern Ireland in four decades. A campaign for adoption reform has been ongoing since laws were updated elsewhere in the United Kingdom back in 2006.
Bill passage delights adoptive families
Swann told the BBC it was among the most important bills he brought to the assembly. He was ecstatic with the passage of the bill, saying, "It brings us not only into line with other parts of the United Kingdom but it actually takes us further advanced of some of those jurisdictions as well in how much support we will give to those children in care or on the edge of care or the families that are supporting them as well."
Among those who witnessed the final stage of the bill at Parliament Buildings were Belfast native Kathy Brownlee and her adopted nine-year-old son Mack. Brownlee fully knows the difficulty of the adoption system in Northern Ireland as her two older children, Kaitlin and Bradley, are also adopted.
According to Brownlee, the main failing of the out-of-date adoption laws in Northern Ireland is the marked lack of support given to adopted families. Brownlee said there were no needs assessed when she adopted her children.
Brownlee expressed hope that things would change with the new adoption law in Northern Ireland and the government would give more support to her three adopted children in the future.
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Northern Ireland has over 800 adoptive families and members
Swann said that the review of Northern Ireland's adoption law was 16 years in the making. There are at least 800 adoptive families in Northern Ireland, but the adoption laws in the country were last updated in the 1980s, which is unacceptable.
The adoption process in Northern Ireland is prolonged as it takes more than three years on average for a child in this region to be adopted from care. However, that varies greatly depending on the individual circumstance of the child being adopted.
One guy who was delighted with the bill's passage is EJ Havlin, Director of Adoption UK Northern Ireland. He issued a statement regarding the passing of the new law, saying that it is a historic victory for the adoption community in Northern Ireland.
