It’s About Time… A mum's 'remarkable turnaround' to win her baby back

By Tara S

In August 2020, a young mother in the UK lost custody of her baby due to concerns about her drug addiction and ability to provide a safe home. However, after completing a rigorous rehabilitation program, she was able to make a remarkable turnaround and win back custody of her child.

According to the BBC, the mother underwent a 12-month rehabilitation program, during which she was drug-free and consistently met her responsibilities as a parent. She was also able to secure stable housing and employment, which further demonstrated her commitment to providing a safe and stable environment for her child.

However, this was not so easy for everyone, as another woman’s case in Leeds was advised to have this therapy but had to find somewhere herself, as the NHS couldn’t assist her. She was still on the waiting list during her whole case “even after 18 months” and her efforts for a loan were also unsuccessful as local authorities refused to fund her.

dedication to rehabilitation and her progress in becoming a responsible parent.

While specific figures on the success rates of drug rehabilitation programs in the UK are not provided in the article, it is worth noting that addiction is a complex issue and recovery is often a difficult and ongoing process. The mother's success in overcoming her addiction and regaining custody of her child is a testament to her resilience and commitment to building a better future for herself and her family.

The increasing demand for openness in family court will be fuelled by this, seen through by projects such as the “open justice” experiment which allowed the close following of this case and therefore helped to promote the campaigning of matters that are normally dealt with in private, hidden from the public eye.

Lucy Reed’s Transparency project was a supporter of the case, and her concept aimed “to promote the transparency of Family Court proceedings in England and Wales through providing straightforward, accurate and accessible information for litigants and the wider public.

(https://transparencyproject.org.uk/coreprinciples-mission-statement/ )

As a result of the work of the young mother in the first case, the court ruled in her favour and granted her full custody of her baby. The article notes that the judge commended the mother for her "remarkable turnaround," citing her

Additionally, this week having been International Women’s week goes to show how the progression and development of individual women can grant greater successes for other women in the future. Her efforts stimulated change as the local authority had to rewrite a document explaining their actions in calling her psychological issues as “current”. Her aims will inspire many mothers to get out of what was described as a “vicious cycle” of babies being born into care, as a shocking 82,000 people make up the record-breaking overloaded care system in England, which needs to be reduced.