[The Family Counsel for Wards of the state. Its essential role in adoption matters]

Every regional branch of the Agency of Health and Social Affairs includes a Child Welfare Service (CWS) whose responsibilities include ensuring the best possible guardianship and future for children registered as Wards of the State. The CWS must immediately register as a Ward of the State every child fitting the criteria for one of the categories defined by the July 11 1966 Act, and take the earliest possible steps towards adoption of such Wards. To achieve these two objectives, a Family Council has been created within the CWS. This Council, that includes eight members with various types of experience or competence in matters of guardianship and adoption, is responsible for pronouncing the registration of Wards and achieving their adoption. Rather than a discussion of general considerations, we have elected to describe the methodical agenda and progress of the Paris CWS Family Council's regular meetings. Emphasis is put on the important aspects of wards eligible for adoption, on the investigation at the homes of candidates and on the "matching" which should be sought for between adoptive families and adoptees. Without doubt, the Family Council's systematic work, denoting a high level of awareness of its responsibilities, is the cause of the significant increase in the number of adoptions and, above all, of the recent availability of adoption to categories that were formerly neglected or permanently "abandoned".