Families, policy and the law : selected essays on contemporary issues for Australia

This collection of essays explores some of the complexities that confront both those who frame social policy in Australia and those involved in the legal systems that intersect with child and family issues. Essays include: Trends in family transitions, forms and functioning: Essential issues for policy development and legislation; Ancestry, identity and meaning: The importance of biological ties in contemporary society; Past adoption practices: Key messages for service delivery responses and current policies; The forced adoption apology: Righting wrongs of a dark past; Current open adoptions: Mothers' perspectives; Perfecting adoption? Reflections on the rise of commercial offshore surrogacy and family formation in Australia; Use of surrogacy by Australians: Implications for policy and law reform; Secrecy, family relationships and the welfare of children born with the assistance of donor sperm: Developments in research, law and practice; Gay and lesbian parenting: The legislative response; Step-parenting; Grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren: Policy and practice insights from research; Contemporary issues in child protection intake, referral and family support; Mandatory reporting laws; Children in the out-of-home care system; Justice and the protection of children; Children, families and the law: A view of the past with an eye to the future; The ties that bind: Separation, divorce and the indissolubility of parenthood; Confidentiality and 'family counselling' under the Family Law Act 1975; Has confidentiality in family dispute resolution reached its use-by date?; Family law: Challenges for responding to family violence in a federal system; Families with complex needs: Meeting the challenges of separation; Post-separation parenting arrangements involving minimal time with one parent; Family violence and financial outcomes after parental separation; Lionel Murphy and the dignified divorce: Of dreams and data; Prosecuting child sexual abuse: The role of social science evidence; The scientists are coming: What are the courts to do with social science research?; Social science and family law: From fallacies and fads to the facts of the matter; and Complex family issues: Collective awareness, common narratives and coordinated approaches to promoting resilience.1. Weaving a common narrative: An introduction to essays on families, policy and the law in Australia / Alan Hayes and Daryl Higgins -- 2. Trends in family transitions, forms and functioning: Essential issues for policy development and legislation / Ruth Weston and Lixia Qu -- Ancestry, identity and meaning: The importance of biological ties in contemporary society / Rhys Price-Robertson -- 4. Past adoption practices: Key messages for service delivery responses and current policies / Pauline Kenny and Daryl Higgins -- 5. The forced adoption apology: Righting wrongs of a dark past / Nahum Mushin -- 6. Current open adoptions: Mothers' perspectives / Phillipa Castle -- 7. Perfecting adoption? Reflections on the rise of commercial offshore surrogacy and family formation in Australia / Denise Cuthbert and Patricia Fronek -- 8. Use of surrogacy by Australians: Implications for policy and law reform / Sam Everingham -- 9. Secrecy, family relationships and the welfare of children born with the assistance of donor sperm: Developments in research, law and practice / Sarah Wise and Gabor Kovacs -- 10. Gay and lesbian parenting: The legislative response / Adiva Sifris -- 11. Step-parenting / Claire Cartwright -- 12. Grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren: Policy and practice insights from research / Deborah Brennan and Bettina Cass -- 13. Contemporary issues in child protection intake, referral and family support / Leah Bromfield, Fiona Arney and Daryl Higgins -- 14. Mandatory reporting laws / Ben Mathews and Kerryann Walsh -- 15. Children in the out-of-home care system / Judy Cashmore -- 16. Justice and the protection of children / Deputy Chief Justice Faulks -- 17. Children, families and the law: A view of the past with an eye to the future / Helen Rhoades -- 18. The ties that bind: Separation, divorce and the indissolubility of parenthood / Patrick Parkinson -- 19. Confidentiality and 'family counselling' under the Family Law Act 1975 / Richard Chisholm -- 20. Has confidentiality in family dispute resolution reached its use-by date? / Tom Altobelli and Diana Bryant -- 21. Family law: Challenges for responding to family violence in a federal system / Rosalind F. Croucher -- 22. Families with complex needs: Meeting the challenges of separation / Rae Kaspiew, John De Maio, Julie Deblaquiere and Briony Horsfall -- 23. Post-separation parenting arrangements involving minimal time with one parent / Rae Kaspiew, John De Maio, Lixia Qu and Julie Deblaquiere -- 24. Family violence and financial outcomes after parental separation / Belinda Fehlberg and Christine Millward --25. Lionel Murphy and the dignified divorce: Of dreams and data / Lawrie Moloney -- 26. Prosecuting child sexual abuse: The role of social science evidence / Antonia Quadara -- 27. The scientists are coming: What are the courts to do with social science research? / Michael Kearney -- 28. Social science and family law: From fallacies and fads to the facts of the matter / Alan Hayes -- 29. Complex family issues: Collective awareness, common narratives and coordinated approaches to promoting resilience / Alan Hayes and Daryl Higgins.308 page(s