But the Wilshaws were unconvinced by his pleas and immediately embarked on a 2,000 mile car journey across the States. First they went to St Louis, Missouri, where the twins had been born, to pick up their birth certificates. Then they went to neighbouring state of Arkansas, where they completed the adoption formalities. One of the twins reportedly required hospital treatment for dehydration after being confined a care for so long. Children's rights are paramount Felicity Collier, chief executive of the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering, said the case demonstrated why private adoption was illegal in Britain.
Children have a right to live in secure and loving families.
Adults do not have an automatic right to adopt. Collier suggested that the Wilshaw's case demonstrated why social work agencies usually managed adoptions, rather than individuals. The legal wrangle Most American states require a cooling down period for both the birth parents and adoptive parents before any change in the child's legal status can be ratified. Arkansas, where the Kilshaws went for their legal procedure, is unusual in allowing fast-track adoptions. But even Arkansas law stipulates that either the birth mother or the adoptive parents should be resident in the state.