Grandparents
One of the big changes in the Children Act 1989 was to place much greater emphasis on the role of grandparents and the wider family in the lives of children. Many children are looked after by grandparents in the daytime while their mother is out of work, or long-term because the mother cannot look after them herself. If things go wrong, there is no doubt that Social Services will look first to the wider family before making alternative plans for foster care, but what happens if parents and grandparents fall out? Do grandparents have rights of their own?
Not much, say the courts, so far. Under the Children Act, any person concerned about a child can apply to a court for an order about a child's welfare : but only the parents can apply as of right; any other person must go through a preliminary step, to apply for leave from the court to make an application. Even then the courts have indicated that in a dispute between parents and other relatives, there is no presumption that contact is in a child's best interests, and the views of the parents will normally prevail.
For more information, contact the Grandparents Federation Helpline 01279 444964