No matter how innocent or deserving parents may be, the welfare of their children is always treated as the paramount consideration by family judges. That was certainly so in the case of a five-year-old boy who was taken from the care of his learning disabled parents by a judge and freed for adoption outside his natural family.
The married couple had done all in their power to prove their parenting ability and had initially been supported in their quest by social workers. However, there was an official volte face after professionals expressed concern that the boy was not being sufficiently stimulated and that his mother was failing to bond with him. The boy was observed to be putting on excessive weight and throwing his toys around. A social worker was also concerned that he was not receiving the cuddles he needed.
The High Court found that the couple were devoted to their son, had never done him any harm and were in no way to blame for their shortcomings as parents. However, the task of bringing him up had ultimately proved too much for them. Despite their close support network of friends and family, there was an unbridgeable gap between the boy’s needs and their capacity to provide for them.