ABSTRACT
Because of their immaturity children need special protection and care, especially in their early years before they can speak up for themselves. For this reason they have their own Convention of Rights (United Nations, 1989) and a special arm of the UN (UNICEF) which provides guidance on child welfare policy and practice. These recognise that all children need loving, stable and dependable care (‘parenting’ for short). Formal and informal adoption and long-term foster care have over the years developed as ways of helping parents who are unable to care for their children, and of satisfying the parenting aspirations of some adults who have difficulties in giving birth.
