Reflections on the Impact of the Children (NI) Order 1995

We are pleased to present a special edition of Child Care in Practice to mark twenty years since the introduction of the Children (NI) Order, 1995. This special edition is being guest edited by Dr Joe Duffy, Lecturer in Social Work, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University, Belfast, Mr Jason Caldwell, Principal Social Work Practitioner, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland and Dr Mary Collins, Professor in Social Welfare Policy, Boston University, USA.

This important piece of legislation was introduced to Northern Ireland on 4 November 1996 and, in important ways, mirrored the earlier Children Act (1989) which was described as “one of the most comprehensive pieces of child care law to come before parliament in living memory” (NSPCC, 2007, p. 2). Importantly also, the Children Order marked an important statement about the need to moderate relationships between the State and family life, so important against the backdrop of a series of high profile instances in other parts of the United Kingdom where the State was found to be either overly intrusive or failing in its duty to protect vulnerable children and families (Kelly and Pinkerton, 1996; Corby, 2000).

Over the past twenty years, Child Care in Practice has had a special relationship with the Children Order. A Special Children Order Edition (1996) marked the journal’s early commitment to reflecting on the anticipation of how this important piece of legislation would impact on key aspects of practice. Some ten years later, the journal then marked the passing of the first 10 years of the Children Order with a further special edition and an accompanying, very well attended conference. It is therefore now fitting that we, again, reflect on the Children Order at this very important 20 year juncture.