Applicable to: United Kingdom

The Children Act (1989) included the following main principles:

• the child's welfare is of primary importance;
• where possible, children should be raised within their own families (parents should be helped where necessary);
• services helping the family should, for example, be a partnership with the parents; meet the child's individual needs; reflect the child's race, culture, religion and language; draw on partnerships with the local authorities and other agencies; and be open to independent representations and complaints;
• courts should avoid delay when managing cases involving children and only make Orders when this action is better than none at all;
• children should be kept informed about the situation and participate in any decisions about their future; and
• parents will have parental responsibility even if their children do not live with them and should be kepy informed.

References
Children Act. (1989). The Stationery Office. London. (Please click here to access the full report online.)

Related glossary entries
Children Act (2004)