My name is Dawn, and I have spent much of my life working in care and supporting vulnerable people. I am also preparing to begin work as a residential childcare worker, where safeguarding and child wellbeing will be central to my role. This campaign is very personal to me. As a child, I experienced significant instability within my own family & was very lucky to have a loving father and step mum that helped me through this. Those experiences taught me how important it is for children to have adults who notice when something is wrong and take action to keep them safe.

I started this petition because I believe every child deserves protection and a system that always puts their safety first.

We call on the UK Government to introduce “Preston’s Law”, requiring mandatory, structured safeguarding follow-ups for all adopted children. Children who are adopted often come from backgrounds of trauma, neglect, or abuse, and may require ongoing safeguarding beyond initial placement. However, evidence from multiple child safeguarding practice reviews across the UK has repeatedly identified systemic failings, including:

• Inconsistent or insufficient follow-up after placement
• Poor communication between agencies
• Failure to escalate concerns
• Lack of ongoing risk reassessment

These gaps can result in vulnerable children not being adequately monitored or protected. We believe the Government should introduce “Preston’s Law” to ensure:

• Mandatory post-adoption welfare visits at defined intervals (e.g. monthly for the first 6 months, then regularly for a minimum of 2 years) with a child psychologist/trauma expert present with any social services visit.
• a handful of random visits through out the year to prevent organisation of an “idyllic environment” for the scheduled visits
• Babies & Toddlers who are unable to communicate abuse have extra safeguarding & welfare visits. 
  Children need a voice to report abuse 
• A named, accountable social worker responsible for ongoing safeguarding oversight. No appointments missed. 
• A requirement for multi-agency information sharing where concerns are raised
• Clear and enforceable escalation procedures when safeguarding concerns are identified
• Regular reassessment of the child’s wellbeing and safety, not just initial placement checks

Preston’s Law would introduce mandatory safeguarding oversight for adopted children and create a new child protection measure known as the Preston Trigger.

THE PRESTON TRIGGER
If two independent safeguarding concerns are raised about an adopted child, an urgent multi agency safeguarding review MUST be automatically triggered.
No child should be left at risk because concerns were overlooked, dismissed, or not shared between agencies.

The Preston Trigger would ensure that warning signs are properly reviewed and that professionals take coordinated action before harm can occur.

One concern should be investigated. Two concerns should trigger action.

As well as this, the ongoing pressures on social work, childcare, and safeguarding services have also raised concerns about whether professionals have the time, staff and resources needed to carry out effective monitoring of vulnerable children. Years of increasing demand and limited funding have contributed to high caseloads, staff overwhelmed and reduced capacity across childrens services. While many social workers and safeguarding professionals work tirelessly to protect children, systems cannot function effectively without proper  government investment and support.

“Preston’s Law” should therefore also include a review of post-adoption safeguarding resources, staffing levels, and funding to ensure that child protection services are properly equipped to identify and respond to concerns before harm occurs.

Children do not stop needing protection once they are adopted. Safeguarding must be continuous, structured, and accountable.

One final notice I would like to add, this petition is to open a doorway. ALL children deserve a loving, stable & safe environment. This is not to stigmatise adoptive/foster parents, as we would be lost without these incredible people that give so many children loving homes - it is to give the proper support and care needed for children that have already experienced instability & to hopefully open door ways to better safeguarding being put in place for EVERY child. 

I thank you for reading.