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Adoptive grandparents for single parents

By: Vivienne Marks
Global Ideas Bank

I would like to see a different approach in cases where a young girl becomes pregnant and, for one reason or another, does not have the support of family.

'Adopting the mother and taking a grandparents' role in respect of the child'

Why not allow not-so-young couples to foster the girl with the ultimate idea of adopting the mother and taking a grandparents' role in respect of the child?

'Enable the girl to continue schooling'

This would:

(a) Give the girl security and support during pregnancy;

(b) Avoid the problems for mother and child consequent on parting them, or of being a one-parent family; and

There must surely be some couples around who have missed out on parenthood and would be mature enough to take the two to their hearts. If the relationship did not work out in the long run, the mother would be free, at the age of 18, to leave, but it would still have been a worthwhile experience for the couple, even with the danger of being hurt. The rewards of success would be great.

Vivienne Marks, Little Grove Cottage, Waldron, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 ORB (tel 0143 53 2840).

Labour encourages families to 'adopt a granny'

Summarised from a story by Rebecca Smithers, entitled 'Adopt a granny plan in Labour ideas for the young', in The Guardian.

Whilst in opposition, David Blunkett, now Education Secretary in the Labour government, committed the party to a range of measures for children, 'unifying' objectives from childcare, education and health. Amongst these ideas were plans to encourage young families to 'adopt-a-granny'. Following a pilot scheme operated by AgeConcern, they hope to provide widespread use of 'foster grandparents' for young families right across Britain.

In keeping with Vivienne Marks' idea above, Labour hope that foster grandparents would be able to provide the kind of practical support and advice young families without close family nearby can miss out on.