... account charts the ups and downs, the bureaucracy, the milestones, the doubts, the frustrations but also the happy times and the hoped for outcome. The book is written for other gay couples thinking of starting out on the same journey to help them understand the adoption process and what it feels like. This book is one of BAAF’s Our Story series, which explores adoption and fostering experiences as told
This is the diarised narrative of a gay couple’s journey to becoming adopters. It is written by Pablo, who was born in Spain in 1971 but has lived in the UK since 1995. He lives in the south-east of England with Mike, his partner for 15 years and husband for four, and their son. He writes against a contemporary backdrop of diverse perceptions, encouraging as well as hostile, as to whether gay men should adopt. The book tracks the couple’s journey starting from their own initial doubts about whether or not they would be accepted and approved (they didn’t know of any other gay couple who had adopted), through to the positive affirmations they receive. They tackle the process with commitment and determination through the stages of preparation, assessment and waiting. This honest and inspiring account charts the ups and downs, the bureaucracy, the milestones, the doubts, the frustrations but also the happy times and the hoped for outcome. The book is written for other gay couples thinking of starting out on the same journey to help them understand the adoption process and what it feels like. This book is one of BAAF’s Our Story series, which explores adoption and fostering experiences as told by adopters and foster carers.
Child Welfare Journal, 86(2), March 2007, pp.87-104.
Publisher:
Child Welfare League of America
The Virginia Adoptive Family Preservation Program (AFP) integrates the adoption services of five private agencies into a state-wide post-adoption services delivery network. The program offers a range of services to support, strengthen, and preserve adoptive families. This article focuses on in-depth interviews with 500 adoptive families who received post adoption services through Virginia's Adoptive Family Preservation (AFP) program paint a richly detailed picture of the challenges they face, and the needs to be met to sustain adoption over time. Findings document the need for support in a variety of forms, including respite, counselling, and information. Numerous implications for strengthening adoption practice through effective training and technical assistance are discussed.
The Virginia Adoptive Family Preservation Program (AFP) integrates the adoption services of five private agencies into a state-wide post-adoption services delivery network. The program offers a range of services to support, strengthen, and preserve adoptive families. This article focuses on in-depth interviews with 500 adoptive families who received post adoption services through Virginia's Adoptive Family Preservation (AFP) program paint a richly detailed picture of the challenges they face, and the needs to be met to sustain adoption over time. Findings document the need for support in a variety of forms, including respite, counselling, and information. Numerous implications for strengthening adoption practice through effective training and technical assistance are discussed.
Subject terms:
post adoption services, user views, adoption, adoptive parents;
Child Welfare Journal, 70(3), May 1991, pp.383-395.
Publisher:
Child Welfare League of America
Notes some of the differences between the American and British contexts and formulations of adoption payments. Key findings are highlighted from a research project that evaluated the impact of adoption allowances in Scotland, and pays particular attention to the views of children about being adopted with financial help.
Notes some of the differences between the American and British contexts and formulations of adoption payments. Key findings are highlighted from a research project that evaluated the impact of adoption allowances in Scotland, and pays particular attention to the views of children about being adopted with financial help.
Subject terms:
user views, adopted children, adoption, adoption allowance;
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(2), April 1991, pp.241-249.
Presents the findings of a study of adopted children, adoptive parents, birth parents and adoption agency workers concerning their views on access to information.
Presents the findings of a study of adopted children, adoptive parents, birth parents and adoption agency workers concerning their views on access to information.
Subject terms:
open adoption, user views, access to birth records, adoption;
Child and Family Social Work, early cite February 2022,
Publisher:
Wiley
Adoption is the preferred form of permanence for young children in care in England who are unable to live with their birth family or relatives. However, there have been growing concerns about the use of adoption, particularly in cases where birth parents have not given their consent. Despite concerns, there has been little research into birth parents' views of consent in adoption. This article reports on the experiences of 12 birth mothers and 2 birth fathers whose children were adopted from care in England. Birth parents' views on consent changed throughout the adoption process. They reported that care proceedings could be traumatic, and they did not always understand what was happening. There was a disparity in the quality of legal advice and social work support that birth parents received.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Adoption is the preferred form of permanence for young children in care in England who are unable to live with their birth family or relatives. However, there have been growing concerns about the use of adoption, particularly in cases where birth parents have not given their consent. Despite concerns, there has been little research into birth parents' views of consent in adoption. This article reports on the experiences of 12 birth mothers and 2 birth fathers whose children were adopted from care in England. Birth parents' views on consent changed throughout the adoption process. They reported that care proceedings could be traumatic, and they did not always understand what was happening. There was a disparity in the quality of legal advice and social work support that birth parents received. The findings raise questions for practice around the level of support birth parents receive during and after care proceedings and highlight the importance of good quality support.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
adoption, informed consent, birth parents, user views, care proceedings;
... The key aims of the study were to explore people’s experiences of contact and its impact on children and adults. A strong body of evidence has been collected about the impact of open adoption on all those involved, and on how children’s experiences of and need for contact change as they grow and develop.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Presents the findings of a longitudinal study that followed up a group of adopted children, their adoptive parents and birth relatives, where some form of post-adoption contact was planned. The findings are of particular importance due to the study’s duration – the children, all placed under the age of four, have been followed through preschool, middle childhood and into later adolescence. The key aims of the study were to explore people’s experiences of contact and its impact on children and adults. A strong body of evidence has been collected about the impact of open adoption on all those involved, and on how children’s experiences of and need for contact change as they grow and develop.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
contact, longitudinal studies, adoption, birth families, user views;
The recruitment and preparation of adoptive parents is currently high on the UK Government's agenda and a number of far-reaching changes in policy, processes and guidance have been introduced in recent months. The fundamental aim of adoption from care remains to provide, hopefully, stable and loving families for children whose parents cannot care for them, but the experiences of adoptive parents
(Publisher abstract)
The recruitment and preparation of adoptive parents is currently high on the UK Government's agenda and a number of far-reaching changes in policy, processes and guidance have been introduced in recent months. The fundamental aim of adoption from care remains to provide, hopefully, stable and loving families for children whose parents cannot care for them, but the experiences of adoptive parents in this process have recently moved from the wings to centre stage. This article introduces the reflections of a group of adoptive parents (n = 27) about their experience of becoming adopters. The impact of delays in the process and experiences of the preparation and assessment period are discussed. There is a particular focus on adopters' thoughts about the sorts of children they felt they could parent and how these changed in the course of their approval journey.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
recruitment, adoptive parents, government policy, adoption, user views;
This is the true story of how Daisy and her parents adopted her baby brother Tom. Although it is written by her mother this is as much Daisy’s account of the process. In a clear, humorous and accessible style the book charts the joys and frustrations of the adoption story for the whole family. It covers Daisy’s parents’ determination to protect their daughter from a testing, yet ultimately
This is the true story of how Daisy and her parents adopted her baby brother Tom. Although it is written by her mother this is as much Daisy’s account of the process. In a clear, humorous and accessible style the book charts the joys and frustrations of the adoption story for the whole family. It covers Daisy’s parents’ determination to protect their daughter from a testing, yet ultimately rewarding, journey. The book is aimed at adoptive parents, prospective adopters, social workers and childcare professionals.
Subject terms:
siblings, user views, adopted children, adoption, adoptive parents;
Adoption and Fostering, 31(4), Winter 2007, pp.5-16.
Publisher:
Sage
The study team compared views about adoption for two groups of 11-year-old children (n = 180). Their analyses compared the views of children according to their pre-adoption background: UK domestic adoptees placed before the age of six months versus intercountry adoptees who had experienced extreme deprivation for up to three-and-a-half years in Romania prior to placement. Remarkably few differences were found between these groups, with the exception of two areas. Older-placed adopted children from Romania were significantly more likely to find it difficult to talk about adoption than domestic adoptees, and to feel different from their adoptive families. However, supplementary analyses suggested that these differences were due to increased levels of difficulties within the older-placed
The study team compared views about adoption for two groups of 11-year-old children (n = 180). Their analyses compared the views of children according to their pre-adoption background: UK domestic adoptees placed before the age of six months versus intercountry adoptees who had experienced extreme deprivation for up to three-and-a-half years in Romania prior to placement. Remarkably few differences were found between these groups, with the exception of two areas. Older-placed adopted children from Romania were significantly more likely to find it difficult to talk about adoption than domestic adoptees, and to feel different from their adoptive families. However, supplementary analyses suggested that these differences were due to increased levels of difficulties within the older-placed Romanian group, rather than whether they were adopted internationally or domestically. The implications of the similarities and differences between these groups for policy and practice are discussed.
Subject terms:
intercountry adoption, user views, adopted children, adoption, attitudes;