back back to News previous previous story  |  next story next

C of E and RC adoption agencies discuss merger

by Simon Caldwell

AN ADOPTION AGENCY in Southwell & Nottingham diocese is likely to loosen its ties with the Church of England to merge with its Roman Catholic counterpart.

The Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd George Cassidy, and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham, the Revd Malcolm McMahon, favour the move. It will mean the end of Family Care, which has carried out adoption work (under various names) since 1926, and of the Catholic Children’s Society (CCS) Nottingham, set up by the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace in 1948.

It is expected to result in a “broad-based Christian family support organisation” that will not be linked to or financially supported by either Church. It will be able to comply with the new laws, continue to provide existing services, and protect the jobs of the staff.

Bishop Cassidy wrote to his diocesan clergy this week, saying that the merger had not yet been finalised, but was a “very real possibility”.

The move follows Bishop McMahon’s decision to pull out of adoption work because of the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs) introduced last year to protect homosexual people from discrimination in the provision of goods and services. These will compel agencies to give same-sex and mixed-sex couples equal consideration.

Bishop Cassidy wrote that the staff at Family Care felt it could “reach out further to vulnerable children and adults in the community. . . It is my personal view that we should look positively at this possible merger as an exciting option for the future.”

Stuart Brooks, the director of Family Care, said that a merger would not dramatically affect the relationship between the Southwell & Nottingham diocese and Family Care, an independent charity only loosely connected to the Church.

He said that key growth areas expected included child-protection and the care of bereaved children. “It would result in a much wider range of services for children in Nottinghamshire, and it would be a very positive outcome.”

Bishop McMahon said he and the Roman Catholic trustees of CCS Nottingham were seriously troubled by the new laws.

“The regulations have coerced the [Catholic] Children’s Society into going against the Church’s teaching, and we don’t wish to do that.”

Steve Hargrave, the chief executive of CCS Nottingham, said that a merger appealed to the RC diocese because Family Care “provides similar services and, equally importantly, shares the same values” as his organisation.

 


Related Stories


back back to News up back to top previous previous story  |  next story next


© Church Times 2006 - All rights reserved

Website by Baigent