For 61 years St. David’s Children Society has provided a comprehensive range of adoption services across all of Wales and Herefordshire. St David’s is also the longest serving adoption agency in Wales.

 Recent equality legislation has presented significant challenges for the adoption agency. Following an extensive period of consultation, legal advice and reflection, Archbishop Peter Smith and the trustees of St. David’s have agreed that if the agency is to continue its good work, it will be necessary to comply with the new equality legislation. However, this will result in a separation between the agency and the three Catholic dioceses in Wales. This change will take effect on the 31st December 2008. The Bishops, Trustees, and staff have all agreed that, in the circumstances, this is the most responsible and transparent course of action. In doing so, St David’s Children Society aims to preserve its adoption services to some of the most vulnerable children in Wales.
In complying with the new legislation, St. David’s will continue to provide its full range of services with the same values, the same dedicated staff team and the same absolute commitment to place the best interests of children at the very heart of our work. 

To date the Catholic and faith communities have been great supporters of St David’s. Those who give so generously to our charity are aware that we work with the most marginalized children in society; children who have been ill-treated, neglected or abused; children who have lost everything including their birth family. Our benefactors realise that their support makes such a direct difference to these children’s lives. They understand that there is a moral imperative that our work goes on.

Dr Kevin Fitzpatrick chair of the board of trustees said: ‘These changes are naturally tinged with sadness at the ending of a long-standing relationship, but the board of trustees is determined to make the transition as smoothly as possible, and without any detriment to the current high quality of services St David’s offers. It is essential that our work evolves for those children who are currently looked after to have the joy and security of family life as soon as possible.’
Gerry Cooney
15th October 2008
The AGM of St David’s Children Society was held at 3.30 pm 14 October 2008, during which the necessary changes were passed by the board of trustees.

 The Charity Commission has given consent for these changes to take effect.

  

Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Peter Smith, Bishop Edwin Regan and Bishop Mark Jabale

We are writing to you today about the future of St. David’s Children’s Society which, as our approved Catholic adoption Agency, has been working throughout Wales and Herefordshire for the past 61 years.   Children awaiting adoption are amongst the most vulnerable children in society;   they are often children who are disabled or suffer from learning difficulties, or who have been neglected, ill-treated or abused in various ways.  During those 61 years, our Children’s Society has provided adoptive families for some 2000 children, including 1600 Catholic families.     That has been an outstanding contribution by the Church, not only to the Catholic community, but to family life in the wider community of Wales and Herefordshire.

 However, in the light of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, if our Children’s Society is to continue that work, it will be required to give equivalent status to couples of the same sex as we have always given to married couples.   In other words, couples of the same sex must be treated as being absolutely equivalent to married couples as prospective adoptive parents.   If our Children’s Society does not implement these Regulations, with effect from the 1st January 2009, it will be denied public funding for the work which it does.

 In the light of Church teaching on marriage and family life, and for the good of the very vulnerable children who need to be adopted by a committed mother and father, the Catholic Church in England and Wales has repeatedly argued for an exemption from this aspect of the Regulations for our Children’s Societies.   Our Societies should be able to act in accordance with Church teaching and with integrity, and should not be required to do otherwise.   Despite repeated requests, and a great deal of public debate over the past eighteen months, the Government has resolutely rejected our requests.   What was given, was a period of eighteen months as a transitional period for our Societies “to adjust to the new regulations”.   The threat that hangs over the future work of our Children’s Society is not a problem of our own making.   It is entirely the result of the Government’s decision to include our adoption services within the scope of the Sexual Orientation Regulations without giving a reasonable exemption in the light of Church teaching and religious conscience.

 The cost of providing these services is very high, and despite the financial contributions of the Catholic community in Wales and Herefordshire, the majority of those costs have been covered, and still are, by the fees which the Society charges to Local Authorities for preparing and nominating prospective adoptive parents.   Such funding will be denied, unless the Society conforms to the requirements of the Regulations.

 Consequently, and with deep sadness, the Trustees of St. David’s Children’s Society resolved last week to become a Society independent of the Catholic Church.   We appreciate that they have done so in the light of Church teaching and legal advice, after many months of prayerful discernment.   In complying with the Regulations, the new Society will continue to provide its full range of adoption services, drawing on its tradition of the past 61 years and with the commitment to continue to put the best interests of children at the heart of its work.   It will continue to give support to parents who have already adopted children, and will carry on its work of recruiting prospective adoptive parents from the Catholic community in Wales, from those of other faiths and those of no faith at all.

 We hope that many of you will feel able to continue your support of the new Society particularly by providing contributions to the ongoing support of those families which have already adopted children.  This work is not funded by Local Authorities and it would be a great shame if the Society were to be restricted in this vital support and encouragement of those families which have been so generous in finding a home for very needy children.   We thank the staff of the Society, past and present for the dedication they have shown to this great work, and all of you who have supported the Society in so many ways over the years.   We thank especially those families who have taken on a lifetime commitment to welcome some of the most vulnerable children in our society into their homes.

 With an assurance of our prayers and blessing,

Archbishop Peter Smith
Bishop Edwin Regan
Bishop Mark Jabale

  Gone is the Form F assessment and in comes the BAAF Prospective Adopters Report, which is the new standardised way that information will be presented to adoption panels. Basically, the report looks at many of the same issues that were previously contained in the Form F but tells the story in a more cohesive streamlined way, which hopefully will make easier reading for adopters, panel and social workers alike.

      The South Wales Adoption Agencies Consortium has taken the lead in developing this for those adopters who decide to come back for more. So far two courses have been held and the feedback was positive. We have 4 families who have taken this brave step, so well done to you too.

 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Gerry

Here are some important dates for your diary:

 The next Post approval group meeting is on December 6th when Father Christmas is in attendance!

 An additional session will be held in February, so watch this space.

 Once again, our annual celebration of adoption went well, with a lively energetic group of children, their worn out parents and a bouncy castle in place! Our appreciation goes to all those who helped to make it a memorable day including: