The adoption of five-year-old Conor, by the seemingly ideal foster family he has lived with since birth, was only being held up by his unhappy “birth mother” who had “learning difficulties”. Bright 10-year-old Kieran and his two sisters are still waiting for a family willing to adopt all three of them, which seems unlikely. Again this is being opposed by a mother with “learning difficulties” – scarcely evident when she was allowed half an hour’s “contact” and they all rushed into her arms.