Jul/090
Ban on IVF donors leads to shortage of eggs
A review in the sale of sperm and eggs for use in fertilisation treatment has arisen in the attempt to increase donations. Currently many childless couples are forced to seek treatment abroad due to a shortage in donations. Lisa Jardine, of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority suggests an increase in the expenses payment of £250 to donors to encourage women to donate their eggs. Furthermore the loss of anonymity of sperm donors was also highlighted as having a possible negative effect.
Concerns have been raised as to the exploitation of poorer women donating eggs to raise money if a higher rate is set. However Jardine argues that the higher rate should exist for women donating their eggs as the procedure is more invasive than sperm donation. Although it is generally agreed that the sale of eggs and sperm raises a number of ethical questions Jardine believes it would create a more transparent system. The authority is also set to discuss the guidelines surrounding donations within a family.
One such case was that of a 72-year-old man who donated his sperm to his daughter-in-law and the rules with regards to brother and sister donations.
Jun/090
Children being taken into care unnecessarily
Research has shown that Social Services are misusing the Children Act and taking children into care that don’t actually need to be. Some families merely need help, rather than taking the children away.
It has been emphasised many times that children should only be taken away from their families as a last resort, and that the families should receive support to prevent their children being taken into care. Researches also feel that the welfare of the whole family should be taken into consideration and supported, rather than just the child as this will in turn keep more children from entering into the care system. This was the goal of the Children Act in the first place.
Although the government is urging Social Services to thoroughly look at their cases before removing any child, they are not going to review guidance as to how to act and enforce the Children Act.
Jun/090
New Children’s Act ALLOWS abuse say paediatricians!
The new Children Act 2004 was brought in to better regulate intervention from official bodies such as social services, with the purpose being to make the UK safer for children. This was to be achieved by encouraging all governing bodies to communicate amongst themselves and therefore improve the upbringing of children.
However, many paediatricians are alleging that this is only causing further abuse. They feel that abusive parents are getting far too many chances, as children are only removed from an abusive home as a last resort. By the time the children are removed, the abuse has gone on for a long period of time and these children often become emotionally detached and harder to place in foster homes.
Social services are strongly denying these claims saying the new Children Act is working and as a result the numbers of children going into the care system are decreasing.
Jun/090
Changes in the Law Relating to Contact with a Child
The first part of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 relates to contact with children and provides, amongst other things, for the court to make contact activity directions. A contact activity direction is a direction requiring an individual to take part in an activity which promotes contact with the child who is the subject of the proceedings.
One of the purposes of the provisions is to help make people fit for contact by, for example, requiring them to attend programmes, classes and counselling or guidance sessions to help them establish or improve contact with the child. Orders can only be made if there is a dispute about child contact. One of the specific examples referred to in the Act is where there is a need for “addressing a person’s violent behaviour”.
The court may also attach contact activity conditions to a child contact order and there are provisions for monitoring and enforcing them. The court may provide for mediation between parents but may not require a person to take part in mediation. These parts of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 come into force on 8 December 2008.
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