L and O (care order), Re

[1]������� This judgment is being distributed on the strict understanding that in any report no person other than the advocates or the solicitors instructing them (and other persons identified by name in the judgment itself) may be identified by name or location and that in particular the anonymity of the children and adult members of the family must be strictly preserved.

[2]������� This is an application by a Health and Social Services Trust which I do not propose to identify (�the Trust�) initially for Care Orders pursuant to Article 50 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (�the 1995 Order�) in respect of two children namely L born 8 September 2000 and O born 16 July 2003.� If successful in these applications, the Trust then seeks to make an application for an order pursuant to Article 18 of the 1987 Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order (�the 1987 Order�) freeing both children for adoption in the absence of parental consent.� �

[5]������� It is against this background that it is relevant to note the threshold criteria which the judge in the Family Care Centre found on 6 September 2004.� I will record these as they have been given to me in handwritten form by counsel:

�1.������ D and L1 have not been afforded the opportunity to fully engage in their education.� This is evidenced by the high rate of absenteeism and monitoring, whereby it was evident that the parents relied upon the oldest four siblings to remain at home from school in order to assist with caring for younger siblings.� There has been poor school attendance in relation to S, D, L1 and S.

2.�������� Gross neglect of the oldest five children in particular in relation to the children�s personal hygiene, health and dental care and the supervision of the said children.� (This element had not been agreed by the parents but was found by the judge).