Liz Trinder

What might children mean by a ‘meaningful relationship’?

Abstract The concept of a meaningful relationship is a key part of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006. Although intuitively attractive as an idea there remain some questions about the precise meaning of the term ‘meaningful’. In this paper I explore what children themselves might define by meaningful relationships. I draw on some material from a UK study of contact to illustrate some of the ways in which school-age children, of 7 years of age and upwards, might define meaningful relationships, and what implications that might have for policy and practice.

The Rights and Wrongs of Post-Adoption Intermediary Services for Birth Relatives

Liz Trinder examines the ethics of post-adoption intermediary services on behalf of the birth relatives of adults who were adopted as children. Intermediary services can be seen as an attempt to equalise the rights to search of birth relatives and adopted people. They also reflect wider beliefs about the importance of genealogical information and openness. By their very nature, however, intermediary services dispense with the informed consent of those who are contacted, may cause upset or harm and potentially breach confidentiality and privacy. Although a recent study indicates that a majority of adopted people find the intermediary services to be acceptable, this article argues that the rights of minorities must be respected and upheld. The apparently neglected Adoption Contact Register is put forward as a better alternative.