Children and Adoption Bill [HL]

My Lords, I support these three amendments in principle, because I have been much influenced by what I have read about the system in Florida. The information has been introduced to me by Dr Hamish Cameron, with whom I have worked as a trustee of the Caldecott Community and I believe to be an honest, good and wise man. In Florida, the early intervention principle has been firmly established for 10 years. It is proving successful although there has been no systematic, longitudinal evaluation. The principle is this, as Judge Lenderman said in his presentation at a seminar held in London in 2003:"““Our studies in the United States show, that the earlier child support is established, the earlier access is established, the better the family unit will work as we in the courts restructure their family life.""““The later child support is ordered or established, the less chance that child support will be paid, the more enforcement proceedings are going to take place, the more we are going to be jailing ‘Gaddy Daddies’ who do not pay their child support. Those fathers do not have access to their children as a result of their own actions””." Florida made four key changes. First, the early hearing date, which can be as little as five days after the court receives notice of parents divorcing or separating; secondly, a standing temporary order served on both parents at the start; thirdly, a mandatory parent education session; and fourthly, a mandatory ADR mediation session, which is a preparatory session to explain to parents the facilities for mediation and the opportunities they have to settle before going to court. All separating parents are obliged to undergo this sequence. They have no choice but to sign in and learn—if you do not sign in, you cannot see the judge. An obligation is imposed on the parents, but parents who have taken part are pleased they have done so. They learn. The mandatory expectation respects them as parents but obliges them to make a parenting plan which is right for their child. The noble Baroness has described to the House an equivalent scheme which has been prepared, and which would work in accordance with the jurisdiction of this country. We should not be too proud to consider it.