But John Simmonds, director of policy, research and development at BAAF, said there were concerns across local authorities about the risks posed when special guardianship was granted to grandparents.
"There is a question about babies placed with older kinship carers on special guardianship orders," he said. "Are we sure that lifelong commitment will be there, when the grandparents can be 50 or 60 already?"
He said that some grandparents make good guardians, but the point of special guardianship was for the child to have an adult carer for their whole childhood.
However, Shefali Shah, solicitor at the Children's Legal Centre, said assessment and planning before an order was granted would help combat any problems.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
