Care assessments concerning involuntary removal of children from intellectually disabled parents

• This study set out to analyse how parenting and the needs of the children are assessed by social authorities and courts in families where one or both parents have an intellectual disability (ID). The texts of child welfare investigations and court judgements in 16 cases of care orders concerning parents (30) with IDs and their children (29) in two counties in Sweden were analysed by a hermeneutic case study. The study shows that even though many of the children are described as already harmed by neglect, clear assessments of care needs are not presented and it is uncertain which of the children’s needs a placement in a family home is assumed to satisfy. The conclusion of the article is that, even though no direct discrimination can be established, the particular individual and structural difficulties of the families’ life circumstances are not taken into consideration. This can be seen as a discriminatory practice.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

The Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act

care assessment

care order

intellectually disabled parents

prognosis

risk assessment

Legal Science

rättsvetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)