Two young sisters in Scarborough—just 8 and 3 years old—are at risk of being forcibly adopted this July.

Despite having a loving and willing kinship carer—their paternal grandmother Debbie and her husband Sean—and a devoted father who continues to fight for them, North Yorkshire Council is pushing forward with adoption plans against the family’s wishes.

 

Social workers have denied even basic human gestures—such as a birthday phone call from Debbie to the eldest child. The girls have reportedly been told they will “never see their family again” after their next contact session, which is now being arranged separately, not as a family unit. This process isn’t just legally distressing—it’s emotionally traumatic.

 

The father, just 24 years old and living with dyslexia, has been overwhelmed by a complex legal system. He received little to no effective legal support and was misled into thinking it was too late to challenge the adoption.

 

Yet this family is not giving up. They are:

• Formally opposing the adoption in court
• Exploring kinship care options with professional guidance
• Raising public awareness of what they’ve endured

They are doing everything the law requires—yet are being told it’s “too late.”

 

This is not an isolated case. Across the country, families are being excluded, silenced, and devastated by a system that too often prioritizes separation over reunification. If children can be adopted in six weeks, they can be returned in six weeks too.

 

We are calling for:

• An urgent pause on the adoption of these two girls
• A full independent review of the local authority’s handling of this case
• Greater oversight and accountability in the use of forced adoption
• Legal support and transparency for all parents and kinship carers in family court

 

These children deserve love—not bureaucracy. This family deserves a voice—not a deadline. 

➡️ Please sign and share to stand with them—and demand a system that puts family unity first. 🙏