Couple who fled Scotland to escape social workers celebrate birth of second child

livinonaprayer

SHE was once dismissed by social workers as not bright enough to get married, let alone become a mum.
But Kerry McDougall is celebrating the birth of her second baby - after fleeing to Ireland from Fife to stop social workers taking her first child into care.
Kerry, 19, husband Mark, 28, Ben, nearly two, and new baby Lochlan are now looking forward to a perfect family Christmas.
"Having another baby is a dream come true," said Kerry.
"Lochlan is beautiful and Ben adores him. We both feel so lucky to have two gorgeous boys."
The arrival of the tot marks the end of a dramatic two-year battle to stay together as a family.
In September 2009, Fife Council social services halted their wedding just 48 hours before the big day.
Kerry has mild learning difficulties and her upbringing had been overseen by social workers.
As the wedding appoached, two of them knocked on the door of the Dunfermline home she shared with Mark.
They made the shattering announcement that Kerry did not possess the mental capacity to make the decision to get married.
Mark, an artist, says: "Everything was booked - the dress, the reception, food and flowers but we had to cancel the lot and call all the guests. It was devastating."
Worse was to come when, according to the couple, social workers said they believed pregnant Kerry wasn't bright enough to be a mum and warned their baby could be taken into care at birth.
So they fled to Ireland in the middle of the night. Kerry, who was eight months pregnant when they went on the run, said: "Leaving my friends and family was terrible but I was desperate to keep my baby."
Friends put them up and in January last year, Kerry gave birth to Ben. Then the Irish authorities discovered through her medical records that social workers had concerns.
They were legally bound to follow them up and, as Kerry breastfed three-day-old Ben, officials turned up and took him into care.
Mark said: "We begged them not to take him. I was on my knees." Kerry added: "Coming home without Ben was the worst thing that ever happened."
After a nine-month investigation the couple, who had been allowed to visit Ben in foster care, were able to bring him home.
After discovering the wedding ban did not cover Ireland, they got married there. Kerry is delighted with how things have turned out.
Speaking from their home in Tramore, near Waterford, she said: "With a lively toddler and a new baby, life is busy. But I love being a mum and couldn't be happier."
Although happy in Ireland, they miss Scotland but can't risk coming back. Mark said: "If we did, both our sons could be taken into care.
"Here, the authorities have helped keep our family together and we are allowed to bring up our sons without having to look over our shoulders."
Fife Council social work director Stephen Moore said yesterday: "We wish the family all the very best.
"If they need our assistance in the future, they shouldn't hesitate to seek it out. We'll be there for them."

The part I don't understand is how Fife Council are now admitting they were wrong. What a cheek!

Daily Record , [URL="vhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075748/Second-baby-joy-mother-told-dumb-marry-look-child.html"]Daily Mail[/URL], Daily Mirror

amdublin

livinonaprayer wrote: »

The part I don't understand is how Fife Council are now admitting they were wrong. What a cheek!

[

Where did they admit they were wrong

Biggins

livinonaprayer wrote: »

The part I don't understand is how Fife Council are now admitting they were wrong. What a cheek!

Daily Record , [URL="vhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075748/Second-baby-joy-mother-told-dumb-marry-look-child.html"]Daily Mail[/URL], Daily Mirror

Did they actually admit they were wrong?
Just asking because I didn't see/hear anything to that effect.
Genuine question.

livinonaprayer

Fife Council social work director Stephen Moore said yesterday: "We wish the family all the very best.
"If they need our assistance in the future, they shouldn't hesitate to seek it out. We'll be there for them."

Sounds like they certainly changed their tune anyway, perhaps not an admission of being wrong though

amdublin

livinonaprayer wrote: »

Sounds like they certainly changed their tune anyway, perhaps not an admission of being wrong though

Meh. Sounds like they are glad it's not their problem anymore.

Biggins

livinonaprayer wrote: »

Sounds like they certainly changed their tune anyway, perhaps not an admission of being wrong though

Well, I don't read it as they admitting they were wrong.
Only showing continuing interest and best hopes for all concerned.

Dudess

This story is a strange one: on the one hand, they strike me as loving responsible parents unfairly judged, but on the other hand, social workers aren't just going to be concerned for no reason. No doubt there's more to this.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Woman formally considered too stupid to breed joins the Irish gene pool.
Heart warming story bro

Batsy

If I lived in Scotland in the depths of winter I'd want to flee, too.

I wouldn't want to get SAD on top of the heart disease that I'd have.

charlemont

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote: »

Woman formally considered too stupid to breed joins the Irish gene pool.
Heart warming story bro

I'm in stitches, Its so true. She will be more than welcome here.

RichieC

Daily mail, aye?

Chuck Stone

charlemont wrote: »

I'm in stitches, Its so true. She will be more than welcome here.

UK and Irish Social Services communicate with each other. I've been told by a SW of a UK couple's baby being taken from it's Mother shortly after birth here in Ireland because the parents (particularly the Father) was deemed an extreme risk to the safety of the baby.

Dudess

charlemont wrote: »

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote: »

Woman formally considered too stupid to breed joins the Irish gene pool.
Heart warming story bro

I'm in stitches, Its so true. She will be more than welcome here.

Why? I don't follow.

TheZohanS

I think Fife Council had it right.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=171632313212


But it's nice to see Social Welfare looking after them so well by giving them a house and dole payments.

Big Nasty

TheZohan wrote: »

I think Fife Council had it right.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=171632313212


But it's nice to see Social Welfare looking after them so well by giving them a house and dole payments.

She's obviously not that thick:

Kerry McDougall shared a link via Mark McDougall.December 9

Sell Your Story - UK
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TheZohanS

MCMLXXV wrote: »

She's obviously not that thick:

Aye, soaking the system for all it's worth. Have a read through her profile...jebus...

dr.bollocko

Yup.

LifesaverNiall

Dudess wrote: »

This story is a strange one: on the one hand, they strike me as loving responsible parents unfairly judged, but on the other hand, social workers aren't just going to be concerned for no reason. No doubt there's more to this.

Social workers have nothing better to do. Theyre actually useless in this country. If anything, they make situations worse... but im just speaking from personal experience.. im sure theyre not all bad..

Dudess

LifesaverNiall wrote: »

Dudess wrote: »

This story is a strange one: on the one hand, they strike me as loving responsible parents unfairly judged, but on the other hand, social workers aren't just going to be concerned for no reason. No doubt there's more to this.

Social workers have nothing better to do. Theyre actually useless in this country. If anything, they make situations worse... but im just speaking from personal experience.. im sure theyre not all bad..

They've plenty to do. They have to be very cautious about accusing people of being unfit parents.

Scruffles

its utter BS that kerry does not have the mental capacity; have followed her story and her own words since this came about;she does have mental capacity and it is a big insult to her and other learning/developmentaly disabled people to judge as lacking mental capacity when they can only make that decision by giving a specific MC test.
also,she is not under a POA [power of attorney] which is what people who are tested as lacking the mental capacity have so someone can make decisions for them and act as them legaly.
it was social services overreacting,if they even got off their backsides they woud know they shoud be supporting the parent and supporting the child to stay in the family regardless of disability-social services are supposed to keep the family together unless there is a high risk of danger,and they also shoud be giving whatever level of support needed to kerry.

have lived with several other LD women who years earlier had had kids taken off them; not because they werent handling it but because of stereotypical beliefs about learning disability,it has screwed them up in different ways.
it honestly is disgusting how social services in many boroughs in the UK will fight to support parents with severe mental illnesses or physical disability so they can keep their kids in the home but for parents with learning disabilities; even those mildly affected they are commonly treated as unable to look after kids even with the support in their own home which is how it shoud be,unless they want to pick and choose which bits of the DDA [disability discrimination act] they want to care about?

some boroughs are more laughable than others-have heard of hard working supportive parents being investigated as a risk to their children, why? because they were both diagnosed with mild aspergers.

Woman formally considered too stupid to breed joins the Irish gene pool.
Heart warming story bro

the mental capacity test hasnt got anything to do with inteligence,it is the ability to make decisions for oneself.

LifesaverNiall

Dudess wrote: »

They've plenty to do. They have to be very cautious about accusing people of being unfit parents.

Sorry i should have been more specific.. theyre useless when it comes to fostering.. the system is a sham.

barbiegirl

Dudess wrote: »

This story is a strange one: on the one hand, they strike me as loving responsible parents unfairly judged, but on the other hand, social workers aren't just going to be concerned for no reason. No doubt there's more to this.

In the UK the local councils have adoption targets and new borns and babies are easiest to adopt. The same concern isn't always shown once they hit toddler age.

In fairness a mild learning disorder is not enough to take a baby away, especially if Dad is considered to be at full strength IQ.