Obese couple get baby back despite 6 children still in care

Published on Thursday 22 October 2009 22:15

THE parents threatened with the removal of their newborn baby daughter have been offered a ray of hope.

But the possibility of having their baby returned was offset when the three children still living with them were removed from their care by social workers in Dundee yesterday.

The baby girl, who was born by caesarian section at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital on Monday, was taken into care under a child protection order only 28 hours after her birth.

A children's panel yesterday ruled that the baby could return to the parents' home on condition that they co-operate "100 per cent" with social workers and local care professionals from a families project.

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, declared: "We are over the moon. We didn't think it was possible.

"The good news is that we are getting the baby back as soon as the baby is feeling better. She is getting antibiotics and we are hoping to get her home by the weekend. But the other three children got removed today. They were removed from school. So it is good news in one way but sad in another that we are losing the other three children."

He added: "It has been absolute hell for us. One minute we had four children, and then none, and then we get one back. I'm in total shock – I haven't eaten in two days.

"My wife is barely holding up. At least she knows she is getting her wee baby back."

The parents, who have seven children in total, hit the headlines last year when they claimed that two of their children, aged three and five, had been taken from them because they were obese. The couple's eldest son is also in care.

Dundee City Council has refused to comment in detail about the family, but has made it clear that a weight issue alone would not be enough to remove a child from its parents' care.