Removing a child from the care of their parents is not something that is taken lightly by the Courts. A child will only be removed if they are at risk of suffering or have already suffered significant harm as a result of the care, or lack of care, that they have received from their parents. This is known as threshold.
Parents Suffering With Their Mental Health
If a parent(s) suffers with their mental health, this does not necessarily mean that the child will be removed from their care. Only if the mental health of the parent(s) is so bad that the child/children can no longer be looked after safely and may be harmed or be provided with a good enough standard of care will Social Care feel that it is necessary to intervene.
Sometimes the Local Authority may think that even if the parent(s) are suffering with their mental health, there are things both Social Care and family members can do to support the parents. They may think that if the parent is provided with a good level of support, the children are able to remain at home safely. This could include visits from Social Workers, or temporarily moving a family member into the home while the parent(s) become well again. But unfortunately, in some cases this is not possible, and it does become necessary to remove the children to make sure they are safe.
Can My Child Be Removed If I Have A Mental Health Illness?
An example of where children may need to be removed is if a parent is sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983. If someone is sectioned it means that they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves. Therefore, this means that they would be unable to make decisions for anyone else. For a parent, this means they would not be able to look after their children because at that time they are unable to look after themselves. The Local Authority would therefore make an application to the Court for an Interim Care Order. This means the Local Authority want to share parental responsibility with the parents to be able to make decisions for the children while their parent(s) are unwell.
It is important to note that if the children are removed, they will not necessarily be placed in foster care. Other placements will be considered first such as the children going to live with family members such as grandparents or aunts and uncles. Foster care is viewed as a last resort for the Local Authority to consider and will only be used if no alternative placement is available.
Historically a stigma has been attached to parenting whilst living with a mental illness. This meant that many parents have been frightened to seek support if they were suffering with their mental health and instead have suffered in silence. A number of mental health illnesses are now recognised as a disability and should not be something to be ashamed of. It is always better to speak to a professional such as a GP or a social worker, if one has been allocated to a family, to get help and support and address any mental health issues sooner rather than later so they do not get any worse.
