Good enough parenting in public law proceedings – what is it and is more than ‘good enough’ ever required?

Emma Vincent Barrister New Court Chambers

The term ‘good enough’ parenting has become a standard against which the court evaluates the ability of parents and wider family members to parent and care for a child. But what constitutes ‘good enough’ parenting and does the idea of needing more than ‘good enough’ parenting in cases involving children with additional needs create confusion as to what standard is required?

In Re C (A Child) (Adoption by Foster Carers) [2024] EWFC 87 professionals described C as a child requiring more than ‘good enough’ parenting due to her very serious medical needs. Indeed the caselaw reveals various instances when the subject child or children have been described as requiring parenting that is better than or more than ‘good enough’ due to the increased needs of the children. However the use of such terminology in exceptional cases is not the court imposing a higher objective standard of parenting but rather reflecting the fact that certain children require specialist or individualised care which is good enough to meet their heightened needs.

The...

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