ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on early episodes in the looked after career, both the point of separation and the first few weeks thereafter. The swiftness and success of any reunion is likely to be much influenced by what has gone before, by the preparations made for return, by the legitimacy of the original separation and by the resolution of problems while the families are apart. The expected lengths of children’s separation varied depending on various factors. In order to ease the pains of separation, continuity is stressed both formally and informally as children leave home Social workers have to choose the appropriate legal arrangements, decide where the child should live and, wherever possible, negotiate access between families and absent children. In making these plans, much will depend on the length of time the separation is expected to last and on factors such as the reasons for separation, knowledge of the family and the availability of resources.
