Applying Universal Principles of ‘Best Interest’: Practice Challenges across Transnational Jurisdictions, Cultural Norms, and Values

Author:

Littlechild Brian1ORCID,Housman Carolyn2ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Brian Littlechild, School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK

2. Children and Families across Borders, London SW1W 9SA, UK

Abstract

This article sets out key issues in determining and upholding the best interests of children, in need of social service support, who have family networks that span outside of the UK. These issues are then analysed against whether and how child protection professionals take these into account along with an overall consideration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’s (UNCRC) ‘best interests of the child’, when assessing and planning for those needs in kinship care cases. Building on these themes, the findings of an exploratory study on international kinship care cases carried out by Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB), the UK branch of the non-governmental organisation, International Social Service, as well as CFAB’s associated Freedom of Information Requests to the UK government, are examined. These are then analysed in relation to legal and policy documents in England. Agency case records are analysed to identify a range of factors for children placed with ‘kinship’ carers across national borders, relating to the cultural relativity of the ‘best interest’ principle, the availability of family support in different social service structures, the understanding and application of legislation and policy in transnational contexts, and the availability of markers to track and analyse the scale of children crossing borders to join family.

Funder

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Reference84 articles.

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3. UNICEF (2022, December 06). Child Migration—UNICEF Data. Available online: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-migration-and-displacement/migration/.

4. Migration Observatory (2022, December 06). Children of Migrants in the UK. Available online: https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/children-of-migrants-in-the-uk/.

5. Healy, L.M., and Thomas, R.L. (2020). International Social Work: Professional Action in an Interdependent World, Oxford University Press. [3rd ed.].

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