Sir, – Breda O'Brien notes the case of a child who was fostered very successfully, until the foster parents had a child of their own ("Will courts be understanding when disadvantaged children are in trouble with the law?", Opinion & Analysis, May 3rd).
“As the baby grew the older child became more and more insecure and resentful, until eventually the foster placement broke down, as did subsequent placements. At the age of 12 this child is now in secure care in a place with much older and hardened children. If, God forbid, this child ends up drifting into crime, will the judge take into account the loss of not one but two families, as well as inadequate State intervention?”
If ever a case were made for same-sex couples coming to the rescue of children in the need of parenting, this must surely be it.
Not doubting the successful fostering by many a heterosexual couple who went on to have a child or children of their own, it only makes sense that same-sex couples would make excellent parents to children in need of fostering.
The fact that they are far less likely to have children of their own dramatically reduces the possibility of a fostered child experiencing insecurity or resentment, whether through its own imaginings or otherwise.
The judge Ms O’Brien envisages as presiding over this young man’s case in the event of his falling into a life of crime might ask questions that Ms O’Brien never envisaged.
The judge might ask why same-sex married couples were not available as a possible option to any board in charge of fostering? The judge might also ask a jury to consider in its deliberations that while the State might not be without culpability for inadequate intervention on behalf of the child, the jury must also consider the influences which led to alternative family arrangements not being made available for children in need of fostering?
The judge might remind the jury of the constant interference of the Catholic Church in State affairs, and in particular family affairs, and of the fact that this organisation is lobbying to prevent same-sex civil marriage in this State, thus trying to ensure that no same-sex married couples will ever be in a position to foster a child since it is their hope that such couples quite simply will never exist. – Yours, etc,
DECLAN KELLY,
Whitechurch Road,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.