Social media certainly seems to have permeated all aspects of our lives today. Once the plaything of baby boomers in the 90’s, today we find virtually every age, race, sex and religion using social media to connect with each other. And the information that various social media platforms are able to garnish from the average user is staggering. When filling out profile information, most users expect to be able to find a long lost colleague or childhood friend.
But what was once a means of finding old classmates has turned into something completely different and can turn someone’s life upside down.
Increasingly, authorities have been expressing deep concerns that adoption arrangements are being disrupted by birth parents trying to make contact with their children through social media, primarily via Facebook. Conversely, a recent article in The Times contains a thought-provoking statistic from research by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, which discovered that 53 per cent of adopted children have used unauthorized channels, including Facebook, to locate their birth parents. This would insinuate that hastily performed adoptions might not be the magic bullet that the Times, the government and Martin Narey described as the best means of diminishing the desire to investigate birth parents or adopted children.
Placing a child in adoptive care is one of the most difficult decisions that a parent can make, and one that no doubt is something that weighs heavy on the mind for years to come. However, there are laws in place to protect the birth parents, the children and the adoptive parents. If you have aspirations to find birth parents, or wish to trace a child that was given up for adoption, it is highly advised that you speak to a family law expert. They can advise you on the legalities involved, as well as talk you through the decision to make sure it is the best one for you. There are endless scenarios that need to be considered, and our team of experts can talk you through the options. Based in Altrincham, we can talk you through options, and help you to decide what the right decision for your situation is. Please contact us on 0845 548 1007 for a free 20 minute consultation.