Sole guardianship for permanent caregivers
This dissertation analyses whether permanent caregivers should be given sole guardianship responsibilities. It shows that the current legal regulations are not sufficient to secure the placement of a child with foster parents on a permanent basis. Therefore, it examines not only the Care of Children Act 2004 and the Children, Young Persons, and Their Children Act 1989, but also the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children as well as the White Paper for Vulnerable Children, launched in October 2012 by the Ministry of Social Development. The White Paper contains a suggestion to limit parental rights in order to secure the “Home for Life” policy, but fails to discuss the proposed amendments in depth and does not set out detailed provisions. In order to fill the gap in the present debate, this dissertation contains recommendations to amend the current legal provisions.