Stability – The dilemmas of providing a secure base for children who are on very shaky ground

Child protection systems have always sought to respond to the interests of vulnerable children. Protective paradigms have changed over time as the ‘best interests’ of vulnerable children are defined in different ways. Within protective systems we are currently debating how best to provide children at risk with security and stability: should we seek to reunify them with their birth families or seek alternative options for their permanent care? The debate is unlikely to lead to an either/or option, but rather one where we need to consider many complex factors in both the decision-making process and how to implement these decisions. These factors include: the rationale and process for decision-making; the importance of timing (child's, parent's, carer's, service system and legal system); how to meet the child's heightened developmental needs before, during and following this process; the importance of the child's identity; and the level and type of real-life support needed (by either the birth family or permanent care providers) on the ground. It is also about the relationships needed to provide children with the foundation of a secure base and a safe haven so they can learn that adults can provide comfort, safety and a base upon which they can learn to explore the world.