Concurrent planning: a retrospective study of the continuities and discontinuities of care, and their impact on the development of infants and young children placed for adoption by the Coram Concurrent Planning Project

Author:
KENRICK Jenny
Journal article citation:
Adoption and Fostering, 33(4), Winter 2009, pp.5-18.
Publisher:
Sage

This retrospective study focuses on children involved in the Concurrent Planning Project at Coram (the UK’s oldest children’s charity) and the impact on them of the intensive contact between child and birth parents while placed with foster carers. In the Concurrent Planning (CP) scheme both rehabilitation to birth parents and adoption were worked on concurrently with intensive resources deployed for each alternative. Meanwhile the child was cared for by foster parents dually approved as prospective adopters. The scheme is assumed to offer the benefits of continuity and a reduction in the numbers of placements for infants, however, there can also be discontinuities caused by the frequency of contact sessions and separations from carers. Twenty six families who had adopted children through the Concurrent Planning Project, of whom 4 had not had any contact with birth parents, and one CP carer where the child was rehabilitated to birth parents were interviewed to assess the infants’ experiences. Concurrent planning achieved early placements, the majority by 5 months of age, that led to permanency. Any discontinuities at the time seemed to be compensated for in the long term by the attachments to their CP carers. Recommendations to reduce the effect of the discontinuities are considered in relation to particular stages in the emotional development of the infants.

Subject terms:
placement, user views, adoption, adoptive parents, babies, birth parents, concurrent planning, emotions, foster care;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
United Kingdom
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN print:
0308-5759

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