The Influence of Adoption on Sibling Relationships: Experiences and Support Needs of Newly Formed Adoptive Families

Purpose: The study investigated whether sibling relationships influenced the outcomes of a sample of adoptive placements in England and Wales that had broken down postorder or were in crisis. Method: The study used secondary analysis drawing on in-depth interviews with 41 families who had experienced an adoption disruption and 42 families who described the adoptive placement as being in crisis in England and in Wales. The families contained 214 adopted and birth children. Results: Siblings placed together were statistically more likely to disrupt in comparison with sequential placements. Only 18 of the 83 families described normal sibling relationships. Placements intended to maintain sibling relationships had not done so. Conclusion: Assessments need to pay more attention to sibling dynamics. Children’s relationships might be better supported by separate placements with planned contact. Interventions are needed to improve sibling relationships.

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The support needs and experiences of newly formed adoptive families: findings from the Wales Adoption Study

Adoption & Fostering ◽

10.1177/0308575917750824 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 58-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sarah Meakings ◽

Heather Ottaway ◽

Amanda Coffey ◽

Claire Palmer ◽

Julie Doughty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Family Relationships ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Adoptive Parents ◽

Support Needs ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

Adoption Study ◽

Adoptive Family ◽

Main Support ◽

Children's Identity

This article reports on findings from the Wales Adoption Study which used a sequential, mixed-method design to explore the early support needs and experiences of newly formed adoptive families. Ninety-six adoptive parents completed a questionnaire four months post-placement and a sub-sample of 40 parents was interviewed in-depth five months thereafter. The main support needs of the families fell within five key domains: promoting children's health and development; strengthening family relationships; fostering children's identity; managing contact with birth parents and significant others; and financial and legal assistance. While the age and developmental stage of the child placed for adoption often influenced the nature of the support required across the various domains, the need for some form of support in every family was universal. Most, however, were not facing insurmountable difficulties. Arguably, many of the support needs identified could have been anticipated as they illustrate the complexities of ‘normal’ adoptive family life. The implications for social work practice are discussed.

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Parent, Child, and Adoption Characteristics Associated with Post-Adoption Support Needs

Social Work Research ◽

10.1093/swr/svz026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 21-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bethany R Lee ◽

Adeline Wyman Battalen ◽

David M Brodzinsky ◽

Abbie E Goldberg

Keyword(s):

Special Needs ◽

Parent Education ◽

Latent Class ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Support Needs ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression Model ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

Targeted Interventions ◽

Using Data ◽

Best Fit

Abstract The purpose of this study is to (a) identify whether there are meaningful subgroups of families with distinct post-adoption needs and (b) determine which parent, youth, and adoption characteristics are associated with these collections of needs. Using data from the Modern Adoptive Families study, authors conducted a three-step latent class analysis with a sample of 1,414 families who rated the importance of 16 areas of parent education and support, based on their current level of need. A five-class solution best fit the data. Descriptively, the classes reflect families with low needs, families with needs related to adoption adjustment, families with adoption-specific needs, families wanting support specific to their youths’ special needs, and families with needs that are both adoption-specific and related to youth special needs. Results from the multinomial logistic regression model found class membership differences based on parent, youth, and adoption characteristics. These classes may help adoption professionals to recognize the types of post-adoption services different families may need and to develop targeted interventions for specific types of families.

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Support Needs and Post-Adoption Resources for Adopted Adults: A Systematic Review

The British Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1093/bjsw/bcz109 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (6) ◽

pp. 1775-1795

Author(s):

Yolanda Sánchez-Sandoval ◽

Natalia Jiménez-Luque ◽

Sandra Melero ◽

Violeta Luque ◽

Laura Verdugo

Keyword(s):

Support Groups ◽

Selection Criteria ◽

Adoptive Parents ◽

Future Research ◽

Support Needs ◽

Adult Adoptees ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

International Adoptions ◽

Birth Family ◽

Attachment Development

Abstract Post-adoption services provide guidance to adoptive families concerning common and specific circumstances. Despite adoption is a lifelong experience, most of the post-adoption resources are oriented towards children, adolescents and their adoptive parents. However, it is also necessary to focus on the demands and interventions with adult adoptees. The aim of this article is to review adult adoptees’ demands for post-adoption resources, applicants’ characteristics and resources offered to them. A systematic search was conducted in several databases, finding forty studies that fulfilled the selection criteria (about adults, domestic/international adoptions and published between 2005 and 2018). The included studies showed mainly three needs: contact with birth family, ethnic identity and birth culture, and psychological support. Additionally, adoptees who demand post-adoption resources are a heterogeneous group. This review collects structured programmes focused on different topics: search for origins, attachment development and professionals’ training in adoption. In addition, we also found some specific post-adoption services and other tools, such as support groups or cultural events. Finally, adoptees also have access to other resources that are not specifically for them, such as mental health services. The scarce existence of evidence-based interventions is an important weakness in this work. Recommendations for future research and practice are included.

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‘One in, One Out’?: The Dilemma of having Multiple Children in Foster Placements

Adoption & Fostering ◽

10.1177/030857590803200309 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 73-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Germaine Ingley ◽

Louise Earley

Keyword(s):

Foster Children ◽

Sibling Relationships ◽

High Rate ◽

Qualitative Information ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

Specialist Service ◽

Looked After Children ◽

Unrelated Child ◽

Rate Of Movement

Practitioners in a specialist service for looked after children and their carers have indicated a tendency for children to be placed in households where there are multiple foster children. This has led to concern that previously settled children's placements were disrupting following the introduction of a new child into the household. A file audit was conducted to gather information regarding the incidence of disruption and the contributing factors, as reported in clients' files. While the study reported here by Germaine Ingley and Louise Earley did not show a high rate of movement into placements, it did indicate that when a new child was moved into the home of an already ‘established’ child, the ‘established’ child's placement often disrupted. In addition, qualitative information obtained from files and letters revealed that conflicts with another child in placement, either a sibling or unrelated child, was the most frequently cited factor associated with disruption. Attachment literature and ideas from the study of adoptive families and sibling relationships in birth families are drawn upon to explain these findings, and recommendations are made to lessen the potential difficulties associated with the multiple placements of children in foster homes.

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Birth Sibling Relationships after Adoption: Experiences of Contact with Brothers and Sisters Living Elsewhere

The British Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1093/bjsw/bcaa053 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah Meakings ◽

Amy L Paine ◽

Katherine H Shelton

Keyword(s):

Sibling Relationships ◽

Life Story ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Adoptive Parents ◽

Adopted Children ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

Face To Face ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Story Work ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract We examined how adoptive families manage and respond to contact with children’s birth siblings living elsewhere within a nationally representative sample of 96 families who adopted a child between 01 July 2014 and 31 July 2015. We harnessed prospective, longitudinal data to determine the extent to which plans for contact between adopted children and birth siblings living elsewhere materialised over time. We present adoptive parents’ views and experiences of the contact over four years, together with an analysis of factors that were thought to have prevented, hindered and/or enabled contact between adopted children and their birth siblings. The information shared by the adoptive families illustrates the challenges they faced in promoting sibling contact; in weighing up the complexities associated with managing contact in the short term against the anticipated benefit for their child in the longer term; of balancing a commitment to sibling contact with the psychological needs of their child; and of organising contact within the context of interactions with other families involved and social work professionals. On the basis of these findings, we make recommendations pertaining to the management of both letterbox and face-to-face contact and life story work, and underscore the importance of investing in sibling relationships.

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