Parenting adopted children and supporting adoptive parents: Messages from research

Abstract

This article considers adoption from the perspective of parents, especially the strategies that they employ to enhance attachments and build positive parent-child relationships. The article draws particularly on recent New Zealand research regarding intercountry adoptive parenting, as well as overseas literature on good adoptive parenting practice generally in domestic and intercountry adoption. It also considers the research on methods of supporting parents who adopt and whether there are gaps in legislation, policy or practice in New Zealand that could be closed by borrowing from good examples in the literature, and, or current practice examples. The author is an adoptive parent of Russian-born children and is actively involved in adoptive parent support networks.

Parenting in the “extreme”: An exploration into the psychological well‐being of long‐term adoptive mothers

“…Research into the experiences of adoptive parents suggest they often face unique challenges that can influence their mental health and parenting capacity (Barnett et al, 2019; Brodzinsky & Schechter, 1990; Gibbs, 2010). Abidin (1990) suggested that when parents' sense of well‐being is threatened, their capacity to parent is diminished.…”

Defining the problem and sourcing the solution: a reflection on some of the organisational, professional and emotional complexities of accessing post-adoption support

“…Since these legal and policy initiatives, the needs of adoptive parents, methods of adoption support and the effectiveness of services have received greater attention in England, but also elsewhere (see for example, Argent 2003;Bonin et al 2013;Holmes et al 2013;Lewis and Ghate 2015;McKay and Ross 2011;Monck and Rushton 2009;Rushton and Dance 2002;Rushton et al 2006;Rushton and Monck 2009;Selwyn et al 2014;Stock et al 2016 andThomas 2013). This interest is evident in the case of inter-country adoption also (see Gibbs 2010). Whilst services might be delivered to birth families, those made available to adoptive families signify the intention to encourage the best possible outcomes, aiding stability for the adoptive child by guarding against placement disruption.…”