RENAMING OF THE SOCIETY TO

“ST. DAVID’S CHILDREN SOCIETY.”

The Catholic Church has been involved in the field of adoption in Wales since 1947. For much of that period it has been known as the Catholic Children Society. In that time the Society has placed approximately 2,000 children for adoption. All acknowledge the very significant contribution the Society has made to the lives of children and families in Wales.

Many of these children previously placed by the agency were infants adopted at a time when society was oppressive towards single parents. Today the number of infants has dramatically declined. There is however a significant increase in the number of older children who wait in care for an adoptive family to come forward to offer them the opportunity of family life. Recent statistics from the British Agencies for Adoption & Fostering indicate that there are 4,000 children in care in England and Wales for whom adoption is the plan but for whom no family has yet been identified. For the most part these children are older children. Some have been abused; others are children with disabilities or learning difficulties, some children are from ethnic minorities.

Statistics indicate that children in care under five years wait approximately three years to be adopted, while children over five years of age, wait on average for five years for adoption. Such alarming facts demand that all of us in the field of adoption review every aspect of our service. 

For these past three years the Catholic Children & Family Care Society Wales has reviewed and reorganised all aspects of its adoption services. This review has resulted in

• Both the Adoption Panel and Management Committee being considerably strengthened by the appointment of members with a wide variety of childcare experience and interests.

• Over these past three years the Society has experienced approximately a 100% growth (year upon year), in the demand for its adoption services. This has resulted in a corresponding increase in social work staff hours made available to the adoption provision.

• Policy and procedure manuals have been reviewed and faced with the New Adoption Standards are once again under consideration.

• New, comprehensive monitoring systems have been introduced.

These and many other achievements are part of the result of this ongoing review. Other developments in service provision are currently being planned. It seems natural that the Society’s name should be considered within this overall review process.

The primary reason for reviewing any organisations name must be directly related to the objectives of that agency and whether its name is assisting that organisation in fully achieving its objectives. The Prime Ministers review of adoption coupled with the changing adoption scene demand that the Society consider whether a name change would enable it to be more effective in meeting its objectives.

What are these objectives?

·         To provide all our services within our Catholic ethos bases upon the social welfare message of the Gospels.

·         To understand the pain of children who have experienced separation, loss and abuse and to provide them with the opportunity of stability and security in family life through the pro-life service of adoption.

·         To improve practice in establishing safe worlds and meaningful relationships for children.

·         To influence practice and promote the rights of the child as defined in the UN Declaration.

·         To preserve and develop our child care services.

·         To promote positive family experiences.

·         To pioneer new practices.

Rationale for a name change to: “St. David’s Children Society”

• Many social workers acknowledge that the faith needs of children-in-care from a Christian background are often not given the priority that legislation demands. Part of the vision behind a change of name is to create a platform for one voice in the field of adoption to champion the faith needs of all children-in-care in Wales. In order to become that voice, the Society needs to be confident that it has the mandate to speak on behalf of the faith needs of all these children. A more embracing name will provide the Society with the required support from its fellow Christian Churches.

• The Catholic Children & Family Care Society Wales now known, as St. David’s Children Society, is the only faith based adoption agency in Wales. Many families of other Christian traditions would welcome the opportunity to adopt through a faith-based agency that would reflect their Christian ethos. While the Society currently recruits adopters from all faiths, a more inclusive name would create the opportunity for adopters from other Christian traditions to have a greater sense of belonging with the Society. “St David’s Children Society” will create a podium for the Agency to directly recruit adopters through the church pulpits and parish newsletters of all the Christian faiths. This will assist the Society in achieving its pro-life objective to create the provision of family life for children awaiting adoption.

• Our secretarial staff report that three out of every five enquiries who make initial contact with the agency ask whether we accept applications from non-Catholics? It seems reasonable to ask how many other families make the assumption that we only accept applications from Catholics and do not apply? Adoption research frequently highlights the poor response rates from numerous Local Authorities to adoption enquiries. Some of these families become so disillusioned with the lack of response that they give up on the adoption process. A more inclusive name would embrace these families. By adopting the name St. David’s Children Society, the Agency will become more embracing strengthening the universality of its Catholic ethos.

• St David is recognised as the patron saint of Wales. St David links the three Catholic dioceses of Wales. He is the founder of the Menevia Dioceses, the patron of the Wrexham dioceses, while the Catholic Cathedral of the Cardiff dioceses is named St. David.

• St David’s Children Society will provide the Agency with a strong sense of Welsh identity, part of its mission.

• There are numerous secular organisations who have adopted the name St. David. It is time for an agency with a strong, proud Christian tradition to take this name from the domain of secularisation and once again place it at the heart of a Christian ethos. A Catholic / Christian ethos which advocates pro-life, champions the value of family life particularly for society’s most vulnerable children, and finds safe families for the born, unwanted, abused children upon whose needs the social welfare message of the Gospel is based.

• In due course the Society would also wish to respond to the faith needs of children in care and prospective adoptive families from the other great world religions. The Society has opened discussions with the Welsh Muslim community re recruiting adoptive families from this faith.

• In considering it’s future the Society also needs to be mindful of other developments in the field of adoption. The Society needs a strong, inclusive business agenda to face the threats of the future. Part of that business agenda is connected to the public perception of the Society.

•  The Society has been successful in contracting Service Level Agreements in the provision of adoption services. The Society in keeping with the Department of Health and Social Service Inspectorate recommendations is currently in the process of attempting to secure other Service Level Agreements. The focus in all of our partnership arrangements should at all times be based on what assists us in achieving stability and security for society’s most vulnerable children.

It is upon this rationale that a name change is being proposed. It is our objectives, which evidence the very spirit of our work. Our objectives remain true to the message of the Gospels. It is within our objectives that our Catholic ethos truly rests. Our name is a vehicle to assist us in achieving our objectives.

It is for these reasons that the three Catholic Bishops of Wales, the Management Committee, the Director and the staff have taken the decision to rename the Agency      “St David’s Children Society.” We are confident that you will agree with us that our new name will further assist the Society in securing its objectives for the most marginalised of society’s children.

Gerry Cooney

Director