What About Their Future? An Analysis of Child Protection Systems' Focus on the Future of Newborn Children in Care Order Decisions

This article examines whether and how governments and child protection systems consider the future of infants when making care order decisions. Infants' placements can be long-term, so it is important to understand how the child's future is discussed—both generally and in relation to becoming an adult who can participate in society and live independently. The empirical analysis draws on unique data from new-born removal judgements (n = 216), covering 220 children across eight European countries. Findings show that few judgements consider the child's future as an adult. Two main types of future orientation emerge: a prevention focus, emphasising the need to protect the child's immediate future from existing harm, and a provision focus, oriented towards secure attachment, developmental needs, and permanent relationships. Country differences are evident, with only English judgements considering a broad range of future outcomes, including adulthood. In conclusion, there is a concerning blind spot among decision-makers when determining whether a child should grow up in public care. Explicit consideration of the child's prospects for becoming a well-functioning adult is very limited.