Evaluated four years of the Children's Society intermediary service for birth relatives through a survey of adopted adults. Examined specifically the impact of contact on the adopted person, adoptive parents, and birth relatives. Found that the majority of respondents felt that adopted adults should be given the opportunity to receive information…

Examines effective permanence planning for children, focusing on the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) strategy. Cites the importance of maintaining children with their birth families, while recognizing that some children remain too long in damaging family settings. Examines the issues of child attachment and contact. Calls for an…

Demographic and background characteristics, pre-adoption motivation, and post-adoptive adjustment of 20 British families who had, among them, adopted 23 mentally retarded children were explored through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Children in the sample had been in their adoptive homes an average of 17 months; 48% were under 5…

Discusses Britain's Children Act, which requires child welfare authorities to give due consideration to a child's religious background when placing a child or planning for its future. Reviews some child welfare practice and policy implications of this regulation. (HTH)

Explores the child welfare placement needs of children of black mixed parentage, focusing on research evidence relating to the overrepresentation of children of mixed parentage in care, social workers' perceptions of ethnic differences relative to their own ethnic groups, and possible trends in placement of children of mixed parentage. (HTH)

Various alternative allocation methods for internship and residency appointments are discussed and examples given. The results of the first five allocations are presented. The percentage of applicants obtaining one of their first three choices varied from 61 to 70 percent; for consultants the range was 72 to 94 percent. (Author/LBH)

Examines the not entirely positive effect of Britain's Adoption Law Review on the good practice developed in some social agencies around the placement needs of black children. (HTH)

Barlavington Manor is a privately owned long-stay children's home in Sussex, England, with accomodation for up to 30 children. Its proprietors were reported to have refused admission to black children and to have informed local authorities of their refusal, thus contravening the Race Relations Act of 1976. The investigation by the Commission for…