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Examining Lived Experiences of Infertility and Perceptions Toward the Adoption of Children in Urban India Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-04-08 Jagriti Gangopadhyay, Kartik Mathur
Abstract Infertility is emerging to be a key health concern in urban India. As a result, infertile couples in urban India tend to rely on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) for a child. Several media reports have highlighted that infertile couples in urban India intend to adopt a child only when all possibilities of becoming biological parents have been exhausted. Several studies have examined
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‘If Only I Could Have Said, If Only Somebody Was Listening’: Mothers’ Experiences of Placing Their Child into Care Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-04-08 Kate Siverns, Gareth Morgan
Abstract Birthparents remain the most neglected focus of the adoptive triad in terms of practice, research and policy. Previous research has highlighted how the needs of parents who have their children removed are often unmet by services. This research explored the experiences of mothers, with trauma histories, who had made or agreed with the decision for their child to be placed into care. Three British
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The Legacy of Exploitation in Intercountry Adoptions from Ethiopia: “We Are All One Family Now” Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-04-06 Shelley A. Steenrod
Abstract In 2018, the Ethiopian Parliament closed its intercountry adoption program. Momentum to end the program followed reports of adoption-related exploitation including the abduction and sale of children, falsification of documentation, bribing of officials, inaccurate testimonies, and false promises to birth families. The Ethiopian Parliament also cited concerns over the identity and psychological
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South African Parents’ Attitudes Toward Cultural and Racial Socialization of Their Transracially Adopted Children Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-02-17 Diana Breshears
Abstract Transracial adoption (TRA) in South Africa is a relatively young practice due to the legacy of Apartheid and continued racial segregation. As such, little research has explored TRA family experiences in South Africa. Experts worldwide agree that TRA parents need to engage their children in racial and cultural socialization. To explore parental attitudes toward the cultural and racial socialization
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Adoptees’ Romantic Relationships: Comparison with Nonadoptees, Psychological Predictors and Long-Term Implications of the Adoption Pathway Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-02-17 Johanna Despax, Evelyne Bouteyre, Jean-Baptiste Pavani
Abstract The aim of the study was to compare adoptees and nonadoptees regarding their romantic relationship experiences and model the factors that predict these experiences (psychological characteristics and characteristics of their adoption pathway). Attachment, resilience, mental health, dyadic adjustment and commitment were assessed in 220 adopted adults matched with 220 nonadoptees. The groups
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Transracial Adoption: South Africa as a Special Case Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-02-17 Jean Luyt, Leslie Swartz
Abstract Transracial adoption (TRA) has been practised and researched in wealthy industrialized countries for decades, but there is limited literature about this practice in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa, where it is an uncommon and relatively new practice. Transracial adoption is heavily influenced by the context in which it occurs. Particular contextual features make South Africa
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Ethiopian Adoptees’ Experiences of Attachment after Adoption in Australia: A Qualitative Study Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Hilina Winkenweder, Clemence Due, Peter Strelan
Abstract This study investigates how Ethiopian adoptees and adoptive parents in Australia experience attachment to each other post-adoption. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Ethiopian adoptees and eight adoptive parents. Thematic analysis returned four themes, indicating that attachment experiences were affected by the following: age at adoption; separation anxiety and survival
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The Legacy of Exploitation in Intercountry Adoptions from Ethiopia: “We Were under the Impression That Her Birth Parents Had Died” Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-02-13 Shelley A. Steenrod
Abstract Ethiopia legally banned intercountry adoption in 2018 following reports of corruption, illegal practices, and child trafficking. While the intercountry adoption program is now closed, the enduring legacy of exploitation continues. Through interviews with adoptive parents, this study explores what and how adoption-related exploitation occurred. It also describes a cyclical and iterative process
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Ethical Lawyering in Adoption: Centering the Child in Adoption Law Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-11-12 Malinda L. Seymore
Abstract Legal scholars have engaged in robust discussions of ethics in adoption law, but have paid little attention to the lawyering role in adoption. This article seeks to fill this gap by reviewing the disconnect between ethical obligations as conceived by lawyers’ rules of professional responsibility and societal norms of ethics; and proposes an ethic of care for lawyers that centers the interests
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Adoption Ethics in a Digital World: Challenges and Best Practices1 Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-11-03 Frederic G. Reamer, Deborah H. Siegel
Abstract This article discusses the range of ethical issues that today’s explosion of information and communications technology (ICT) has brought to the adoption landscape. It draws on recently adopted technology-related ethics standards and practice standards pertaining to human service professionals’ use of technology to deliver services and communicate with clients, both of which are highly relevant
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Fertility Problems and Parenting Daily Hassles in Childhood: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study of Adoptive Parents Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-29 Jing Wang, Misaki N. Natsuaki, Jenae M. Neiderhiser, Daniel S. Shaw, Jody M. Ganiban, David Reiss, Leslie D. Leve
Abstract Fertility problems are known to exert a negative impact on psychological health. Meanwhile, individuals with fertility challenges often view adoption as a positive healing experience. Yet, a dearth of work has examined the long-term impact that fertility problems have on adoptive parents and their childrearing stress. Here, we investigated how fertility problems related to parenting daily
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Child Preparation for Adoption as an Ethical Requirement during Pre-Placement: The PPCA Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-23 Margarida Rangel Henriques, Isabel Fidalgo, Diana Neves Teixeira, Margarida Domingues, Sara Silva
Abstract Child adoption is a highly demanding process for all those involved, including the child, parents, and professionals. Support is needed to maximize the chances of adequate preparation, focusing on not just the parents’ preparedness but also the child’s preparation for adoption. Preparing a child for adoption is an ethical obligation. Assuming that the child is at the center of the adoption
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The Colombian Adoption House: A Case Study Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-19 Susan F. Branco
Abstract In this explanatory case study, the researcher examined how adult Colombian adoptees, whose adoptions may have been facilitated under corrupt or suspicious circumstances, sought to learn factual information about their adoption narratives. Related journalistic documentation was also included in the case study analysis. The researcher found three major themes: (1) Discrepancy discovery, (2)
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Adoption by Lesbian Women and Gay Men: Perceived Challenges and Training Needs for Professionals in Portugal Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-19 Jorge Gato, Margarida Rangel Henriques, Daniela Leal
Abstract Lesbian women and gay men face many barriers to accomplish a parental project, including when seeking to adopt. In Portugal, same-sex couple’s adoption was recently allowed and we sought to understand adoption professionals’ perspectives regarding this issue. We conducted two focus groups with adoption professionals using a semi-structured interview script. We aimed to explore (i) the main
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Ethical Considerations in the Use of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing for Adopted Persons Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Thomas May, Stephanie M. Fullerton
Abstract The use of DTC genetic testing to identify health risks is increasingly popular. This is particularly the case for adopted persons, who often lack access to family health history information and who may see genetic testing as the best (and only) way to identify potential inherited disease risks. However, the development of genetic testing to fill gaps in family health history information for
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“I Just didn’t Think they Would Because of My Status…”: Experiences of People with HIV within the Ontario Adoption System Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Angela Underhill, V. Logan Kennedy, Johanna Lewis, Mona Loutfy
Abstract There is limited research exploring the experiences of people living with HIV (PLWH) who have pursued/successfully adopted children. We aimed to gain a deeper understanding of such experiences by analyzing six interviews with PLWH using thematic analysis. In this paper, we highlight three themes: Understanding the Adoption Process, Desire for Caseworker-Client Transparency, and Framing Health
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Examining the Intersection of Ethics and Adoption Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-13 Bibiana D. Koh, JaeRan Kim
(2021). Examining the Intersection of Ethics and Adoption. Adoption Quarterly: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 1-4.
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Religious Motivation to Adopt as a Predictor of Adoptive Family Structure, Parental Discipline, and Outcomes Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-07-21 Emily J. Helder, Marjorie L. Gunnoe, Hannah Timmermans
Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine religious motivation to adopt and how this relates to decisions families made while adopting, firm discipline, attachment, parent stress and affect, and child externalizing and internalizing. Within the United States, 44 internationally adopted children and their parents participated in this six-year, longitudinal study. Families endorsing greater religious
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Adoptive Families’ Views about Effective Services Prior to Residential Treatment Center Placement Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-07-21 Catherine A. LaBrenz, Rowena Fong, Kim Brown, Erin Findley
Abstract Children who have been adopted are more likely to have mental health diagnoses than non-adopted peers and may be overrepresented in residential treatment centers (RTCs). Yet, few studies have examined adoptive parents’ experiences with RTCs. We administered a survey to N = 113 adoptive parents who had at least one child in RTC. Many families utilized services such as family therapy, but fewer
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Discourses and Themes in Adoption and Child Welfare Policies and Practices in the U.S. throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-07-21 Leslie Rose Nelson
Abstract The current paper uncovered the pertinent discourses and themes of and about adoption in the United States throughout the following time periods: 1850-1919, 1920-1959, 1960-1979, and 1980-present. Emergent discourses were placed in their historical context(s) and served to illuminate the conversations and movements that informed prominent adoption discourses, policies, and best practices throughout
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Microaggressions experienced by adoptive families and internationally adopted adolescents in France Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-03-30 Laurie C. Miller, Marie-Odile Pérouse de Montclos, Jessica Matthews, Janice Peyre, Jacques Vaugelade, Odile Baubin, Jacques Chomilier, Jean-Vital de Monleon, Anne de Truchis, Frédéric Sorge, Ellen Pinderhughes
Abstract France receives a relatively large number of international adoptions. However, little is known about the frequency and types of microaggressions experienced by adoptive parents and internationally adopted adolescents in France. Unusually, France functions legally as a colorblind society, where race is not officially recognized. Therefore, we surveyed adoptive parents and adopted adolescents
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Locating the Intersections of Disability, Race and Ethnicity in Adoption Rates among Foster Children Introduction Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-02-06 Lisa Johnson, Elspeth Slayter, Allyson Livingstone
Abstract The promotion of speedy, permanent adoption outcomes for children in foster care whose parental rights have been terminated is a central child welfare policy goal. However, while both children of color and children with disabilities are at greater risk for child welfare involvement, little is known about influence of these intersecting identities on adoption rates. This cross-sectional national
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Why Moral Theories Matter: A Review of Ethics and Adoption Literature Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-02-06 Bibiana D. Koh, Frederic G. Reamer
Abstract This study argues that moral theory is an important aspect of our use of self in adoption practice. Within this context, the authors examined the extent to which ethical theories were explicitly incorporated in the peer-reviewed adoption literature – published between 1996 and 2019 – that purported to focus on ethical issues. Findings from our review suggest that the inclusion of moral theories
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Developments in U.S. Intercountry Adoption Policy since Its Peak in 2004 Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-01-30 Sarah Elizabeth Neville, Karen Smith Rotabi
Abstract This paper examines the implications of recent developments in U.S. intercountry adoption (ICA) policy for vulnerable children. We review policy and practices from 2004-2018, including (1) the 2008 implementation of the Hague Convention and (2) the 2017 changes in Hague accrediting entities for adoption agencies. By analyzing the ICA contexts of the top five States of origin, we argue the
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Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents’ Experiences with Pediatricians: A Mixed-Methods Study Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-21 Abbie E. Goldberg, Reihonna L. Frost, Melissa H. Manley, Nora M. McCormick, JuliAnna Z. Smith, David M. Brodzinsky
Abstract Despite unique health risks and outcomes among adopted children, most pediatricians receive little training about this population. The current mixed-methods study explored lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents' (n = 224, in 129 families) experiences with and perspectives on pediatricians. Parents in the study adopted via private domestic, public domestic, and international adoption
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Adoption Discontinuity in Intensive Out-of-Home Care Settings Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-02 JaeRan Kim, Kristine Piescher, Traci LaLiberte
Abstract This study sought to understand previous adoption experiences of youth placed in residential, group, and treatment foster care settings. A secondary analysis of an existing point-in-time prevalence study of 869 youth in 38 private residential, group home, and treatment foster care facilities were conducted. Gender, race, number of placements, and having a developmental disability were variables
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“I Guess They’re All Real Moms Then”: Constructing Motherhood Through Language in the Adoption Community Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Melissa Rizzo Weller
Abstract Language used to construct motherhood varies, not only among groups inside and outside the adoption community, but among members of each group, as well. Some language is used to clarify relationships in adoptive families, but sometimes language can be stigmatizing, either intentionally or unintentionally. This study is a content analysis examining the construction of motherhood through language
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Adoption in Romania: Historical Perspectives and Recent Statistics Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-09-26 Rebeca Popescu, Ana Muntean, Femmie Juffer
Abstract In this article we present a brief history and recent statistics of child abandonment and adoption in Romania. After a rise in international adoptions in the 90s, a moratorium on adoption was established and in 2004 international adoptions became virtually impossible. Based on statistics of the Romanian National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoption, we noted that
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Cultural Socialization in Transracial Adoption: Adoption Support, Multicultural Experiences, Perceptions of Discrimination, and Positive Feelings Toward Racial Minority Groups Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-18 Katie Heiden-Rootes, Bobbi Miller, Rachel Moore
Abstract The current study compared transracial adoption (TRA) parents who adopted internationally to those who adopted domestically (total n = 188; domestic n = 71; international n = 117) on multicultural experiences, perception of discrimination, and positive feelings toward racial minority groups, adoption support, and Parental Cultural Competence (PCC). Next a model for predicting PCC for both
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Searching for the Self: Adult International Adoptees’ Narratives of Their Search for and Reunion With Their Birth Families Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Maarit G. Koskinen, Marja Leena Böök
Abstract In this case study, five international adoptees from Finland were interviewed about their search and reunion experiences to find out what meanings they ascribed to their identities and family relations. The thematic analysis yielded three themes: search and reunion in significant periods of life, meaning of reunion for identity, and belonging and relatedness within family. The first theme
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A Qualitative Study of “fa’a’amu” Kinship Care Experiences in Tahiti Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-06-20 Tehani Benjamin, Doris F. Chang, Miriam Steele
Abstract “Fa'a'amu” is a type of adoption commonly found in French Polynesia involving open, informal adoption arrangements, in which the child maintains ties to the family of origin. Although the function that child circulation plays in Oceanic societies has been widely documented by anthropologists, the implications of fa'a'amu at the individual level have yet to be examined. To address this gap
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Adopting Again: A Qualitative Study of the Second Transition to Parenthood in Adoptive Families Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-06-20 Reihonna L. Frost, Abbie E. Goldberg
Abstract The transition to second-time parenthood—i.e., becoming a parent to a second child—is a time of adjustment and change for the whole family. While research has demonstrated that family transitions can be uniquely challenging in the adoptive context, no known research has studied the transition to second parenthood in adoptive families. The current qualitative study explores the transition to
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Do Preparation for Bias and Cultural Socialization Protect Against Discrimination for Transracially Adopted Adolescents? Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-04-03 Katie M. Hrapczynski, Leigh A. Leslie
Abstract This study of transracially adopted adolescents and their White parents examines the role of two types of parental racial socialization, preparation for bias and cultural socialization, in protecting adoptees from the impact of discrimination. Sixty-six transracially adopted adolescent–parent dyads in the United States completed an online questionnaire. Preparation for bias, and not cultural
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Supporting Adoptive Parents: A Study on Personal Self-Care Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-04-03 J. Jay Miller, Chunling Niu, Rachel Womack, Nada Shalash
Abstract This study explored the personal self-care practices of adoptive parents (N = 229) in one southeastern state. Overall, findings indicate that adoptive parents only engage in moderate modest self-care practices. Significant differences in self-care practices were detected by health status (self-report) and current financial status. In summary, the healthier one perceived themselves to be and
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Known and Unknown Identities: Openness and Identity as Experienced by Adult Adoptees Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-04-03 Sofie Henze-Pedersen
Abstract This qualitative study investigates the relationship between openness and identity among 15 adoptees. Several studies have argued that a high degree of openness is important for the identity of adoptees. However, few have explored this relationship. Two types of openness (biographical knowledge and communicative openness) are used to categorize the empirical material, making it possible to
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Being a Foster-to-Adopt Parent: Experiences of (Un)certainty and Their Influence on the Sense of Being the Parent Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-03-12 Geneviève Pagé, Marie-Andrée Poirier, Doris Chateauneuf
Abstract The Mixed-Bank Program (Quebec, Canada) is based on concurrent planning principles. While the primary goal of this placement is reunification of the child with their birth parents, the low probability of this happening calls for simultaneously planning for an alternative solution, such as adoption. As a result, foster-to-adopt families have to deal with the uncertainty of the adoptability
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Beyond the Childhood Years: Openness in Adoptive Kinship Networks Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-01-02 Harold D. Grotevant, Ruth G. McRoy
This special issue of Adoption Quarterly highlights recent longitudinal findings from the Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project (MTARP), which began in the 1980s and has followed 169 birth mothers and 190 adoptive families (190 mothers, 190 fathers, 171 children, now adults) over four waves of data collection (30 years postplacement) to identify the effects of adoption over time for all parties
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Ethical Considerations in Adoption Research: Navigating Confidentiality and Privacy Across the Adoption Kinship Network Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-01-02 Albert Y. H. Lo, Harold D. Grotevant, Ruth G. McRoy
Abstract Adoption research often includes multiple members of the adoption network, each of whom has distinctive perspectives. Participants may include adopted individuals and their siblings as well as adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoption professionals. Due to these multiple informants and the sensitivity of the topics explored in adoption research, researchers encounter several unique ethical
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Adoptive Mothers' and Fathers' Psychological Distress: Parenting Teens Adopted from Birth Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-11-05 Christina M. Sellers, Adeline Wyman Battalen, Lisa Fiorenzo, Ruth McRoy, Hal Grotevant
Abstract This study tests pathways to adoptive parents' psychological distress over time and then examines gender differences in psychological distress. Participants included 190 adoptive mothers and 190 adoptive fathers from the longitudinal Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project, a study of U.S. domestic infant adoptions. The majority of adoptive parents reported low psychological distress 10
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Birth Mothers Now Birth Grandmothers: Intergenerational Relationships in Open Adoptions Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-25 Adeline Wyman Battalen, Christina M. Sellers, Ruth McRoy, Harold D. Grotevant
Abstract Despite growing trends in openness between birth and adoptive families, little is known about what happens when adopted children become parents and birth mothers become birth grandmothers. These new and unique relationships between birth mothers and their grandchildren were examined through intensive case study analyses of in-depth interviews with birth mothers who placed infants for adoption
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Minding the (Information) Gap: What Do Emerging Adult Adoptees Want to Know About Their Birth Parents? Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-25 Gretchen Miller Wrobel, Harold D. Grotevant
Abstract The formation of an adoption information gap was examined for a group of 169 emerging adults (M = 25.0 years) who were adopted as infants. Participants completed interviews and questionnaires at adolescence and emerging adulthood (late teens to 20s). The Adoption Curiosity Pathway model guided research questions about formation of an adoption information gap, which exists when there is a difference
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Attachment, Conflict Resolution, and Sexual Satisfaction in Adoptive Couples Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Erica Rouleau, Adam Farero, Tina Timm
Abstract Attachment theory affirms that one’s partner is vital to fostering support and security. It is important for adoptive couples to be mindful of this support because it is at the forefront of healthy family functioning. With a sample of adoptive couples (n = 166), this study examines the influence of attachment style on conflict resolution and sexual satisfaction. Significant findings indicate
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Difficult Commitments: Intercountry Adoption to the United States and Accession to the Hague Convention Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Marijke Breuning, Melissa Martinez
Abstract Why have relatively few countries joined the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption? Have countries that send children to the United States been more likely to join? The United States has joined this convention and prefers sending countries to do so also. However, our findings show that countries that send children to the United States
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The Disability of Adoption: Adoptees in Disabling Societies Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Kim Park Nelson
AbstractThis article explores the common theoretical ground between disability studies and adoption studies and between the cultural positions of adoptees and disabled people. The author forwards t...
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How Changes in Sending Countries Influenced Patterns of Interracial Families Through Intercountry Adoption Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Hiromi Ishizawa, Kazuyo Kubo, Gillian Stevens
Abstract The racial characteristics of children adopted from abroad by American parents have fluctuated sharply over time in response to changing legislation and attitudes toward intercountry adoptions in the United States and the sending countries. This study investigates how the likelihood of parents adopting a White versus non-White child varies by the characteristics of the adopted child, the parents
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Investigating the Child Trauma Knowledge of Adoptive Parents: An Exploratory Study Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-10-02 J. Jay Miller, Chunling Niu, Shannon Moody
Abstract Veritably, many adoptees have experienced trauma. In fact, the very nature of being adopted can be traumatic for some young people. While it is imperative that adoptive parents have the requisite knowledge about trauma to help adoptees deal with this issue, studies that examine this knowledge are nominal, at best. This exploratory cross-sectional study investigated adoptive parents’ (N = 206)
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A Qualitative Exploration of the Adult Intercountry Adoptee Experience in Australia Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-03 Patricia Fronek, Lynne Briggs
Abstract Using a post-structuralist narrative approach, this article focuses on insights gained from a qualitative study with 11 Australian intercountry adult adoptees with particular reference to their adoption experiences and post-adoption support needs. From thematic analysis, six interrelated, overlapping themes are reported. These are as follows: connecting to the past, the ambiguous self, the
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Preadoption Genetic Testing: Social workers' decision-making process Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-03 Deanna J. Erwin, Wendy Uhlmann, Kristine Freeark, Beverly M. Yashar
Abstract Genetic testing requested by prospective adoptive parents and/or an adoption agency prior to adoption, known as pre-adoption genetic testing, is postulated to help identify the best placement for the child. However, limited data exist about factors impacting social workers’ decision making about genetic testing and their perceptions about positive and negative implications of testing. A survey
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From Adoption to Residential Treatment Centers Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-03 Kim Brown, Catherine A. LaBrenz, Rowena Fong
Abstract Although children who have been adopted are referred for mental health services more often than their non-adopted peers and might be overrepresented within residential treatment centers (RTCs), little is known about adoptive families' experiences with RTCs. The present study sought to understand the experiences of families whose children were placed in residential treatment facilities after
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Initial Validation of the Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale With International Transracially Adoptive Parents Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-03 Jaegoo Lee, Josie Crolley-Simic, M. Elizabeth Vonk
Abstract This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the 10-item Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) using a sample of international transracially adoptive parents. This online survey design study recruited transracially adoptive parents from parenting support groups. Using a random split sample of the data, exploratory factor analysis resulted in two subfactors: cultural socialization
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Open Adoptions of Children from Foster Care in New South Wales Australia: Adoption Process and Post-Adoption Contact Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-04-03 Andrea del Pozo de Bolger, Debra Dunstan, Melissa Kaltner
ABSTRACT In Australia, adoptions from care are infrequent and mostly conducted in New South Wales (NSW) despite being legislated in other states. This qualitative study explored the experiences of the adoption process and post-adoption contact of eight foster parents adopting children in their care through the public welfare agency in NSW. The interviews were analyzed following a structured approach
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Talking about culture with internationally adoptive parents: An anthropological perspective Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-04-03 Jen Pylypa
ABSTRACT Parents who adopt internationally are commonly implored to expose their children to their “birth cultures.” While this celebration of origins is praiseworthy, the approach to “culture” that it typically involves is arguably problematic. This article discusses what anthropologists mean by culture and how this differs from the way culture is treated in international adoption. It then considers
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Identity formation in children and young people in open adoptions from out-of-home-care in New South Wales, Australia Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-04-03 Betty Luu, Marc de Rosnay, Amy Conley Wright, Susan Tregeagle
ABSTRACT Semi-structured interviews were used to explore identity development for nine adoptees (aged 9–23 years) who were adopted by their foster carers in New South Wales, Australia. Adoptions were open, with court-ordered face-to-face contact with birth families. Findings suggest that participants had healthy adoptive identities, with coherent and meaningful narratives about their life histories
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Adoption by Lesbians and Gay Men in Europe: Challenges and Barriers on the Journey to Adoption Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-03-20 Roberta Messina, Salvatore D'Amore
ABSTRACT No psychological research has been done investigating the experiences of adoption by sexual minorities living in Europe. This qualitative study is the first cross-national research within the European context giving the floor to LG (lesbian and gay) adoptive parents in order to explore the main challenges they encountered in the transition to adoptive parenthood. Sixty-two LG adoptive parents
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Conceptualizing Adoptive Parent Support Groups: A Mixed-Method Process Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-01-02 J. Jay Miller, Christine Sauer, Karen Bowman, Shawndaya Thrasher, Kalea Benner, Melissa Segress, Chunling Niu
ABSTRACT Indubitably, the process of adopting a young person, no matter the context, can be challenging. To assist adoptive parents in coping with these challenges, entities (e.g., social service/adoption agencies, etc.) have historically fostered the development of support groups. Despite the intent of these efforts, many adoptive parent support groups utilize frameworks that are not congruent with
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Attachment, affective responsiveness, and cohesion in adoptive families: Child and parent perspectives Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-01-02 Maria Ann Wydra, Karen Mary O'Brien
ABSTRACT Some adoptive families are at risk for problems in family functioning. This study investigated the extent to which attachment to parents and affective responsiveness of the family predicted family cohesion and satisfaction with the adoptive family from both the child's and the parent's perspectives. Using a sample of 50 adopted children and their parents, our findings indicated that attachment
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Positive and negative aspects of transracial adoption: An exploratory study from Korean transracial adoptees' perspectives Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2017-11-22 Danielle Godon-Decoteau, Patricia G. Ramsey
ABSTRACT Participants, 92 Korean-born transracial international adoptees, responded to two open-ended questions designed to explore both positive and negative aspects of transracial adoption. Almost all of them reported experiencing both benefits and challenges, suggesting that transracial adoption is more complex than the polarized “success or failure” paradigm that underlies much of the transracial
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Are disinhibited social behaviors among internationally adopted children mediated by the attachment environment or by children's difficulties with inhibitory control? Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2017-07-05 Bethany Gorter, Emily J. Helder, Ye In Oh, Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe
ABSTRACT Internationally adopted children show higher rates of disinhibited social behavior (DSB). Two competing explanations for DSB include difficulties in attachment specifically and deficits in inhibitory control more generally. This four-wave longitudinal study (a) documented the persistence of DSB among internationally adopted children and (b) tested the relative contributions of attachment environment
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Exploring Adoption-Specific Curricula in Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2017-07-03 Bibiana D. Koh, JaeRan Kim, Ruth McRoy
ABSTRACT The systemic impact of adoption suggests the need to explore adoption-specific curricula in baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. Using a convenience sample, the present exploratory study collected data in two phases. Phase one included email requests for adoption syllabi to professional email lists and to identified faculty with adoption research and practice expertise. In phase two
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Protagonists' and Adoptive Process Representations in Italian Children's Books About International Adoption: A Qualitative Study Adoption Quarterly Pub Date : 2017-03-28 Ondina Greco, Ivana Comelli
ABSTRACT This qualitative study aims at identifying the main representations of the international adoption process through a comparative analysis of 62 Italian stories about international adoption. Content analysis involves the use of thematic analysis as well as computer-assisted text analysis. Results show that adoption is represented varying from a polarization in which “the positive” is situated