Bid to trace parents of Jade after she is put up for adoption

By The Press Association31st July 2016News EnglandAdoption, Child Protection, Childrens Services, Courts / Justice, News England

A little girl whose identity is unknown and whose parents cannot be found should be placed for adoption, a High Court judge has ruled.

The youngster was taken into care earlier this year after social services staff at West Sussex County Council became concerned as a result of a call from a member of the public.

Council staff and police launched investigations – and made a public appeal – in a bid to trace the little girl’s parents but without success.

Mr Justice Hayden, who has analysed the little girl’s case at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court, has concluded that the authorities have done all decided that she should be placed for adoption.

The judge said all “realistic avenues” had been pursued – although he urged anyone with information to come forward.

He said council staff had named the little girl Jade – and a paediatrician thought that she was about two.

“I am wholly satisfied that Jade’s best interests now lie in a smooth and structured move to a loving permanent (adoption) placement,” Mr Justice Hayden said, in a ruling on the case.

“There is no reasonable prospect of identifying her two parents.”

But he said the publication of his ruling ought to be seen as a “further opportunity” to identify family members and said anyone who thought that they knew something should come forward.

Social workers think that Jade may have links to Uganda.

They say she is affectionate and bright, likes to dance and loves to climb.

Council staff and police launched an appeal in early July in a bid to trace relatives.

Police said the youngster had been found in Crawley in March.

Detective Sergeant Alexis Witek had said: “We really need to find out who this little girl’s parents are. She may have connections to Crawley and West Sussex as well as Tooting or south London more generally. We ask that anyone who may know anything about her speaks to us.

“We are appealing in particular to those in the local Crawley and West Sussex area, the wider Ugandan community, or anyone who knows of a woman who has been caring for a young girl meeting the description until recently.”