Foster Care Adoption: The Joys and the Challenges

Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash

For November, National Adoption Awareness Month, IVAT is examining the challenges faced by adopted parents during and post adoption. The adoption process can be both a beautiful and incredibly stressful experience for many families. Over the last few years, rates of foster care adoption have been steadily increasing. This is a positive step since there is still a huge need for more adoptive parents within the foster care system, as they serve nearly 200,000 children and families on a yearly basis[1]. With so many children looking for homes, we need to address the considerable barriers that adoptive parents face and find ways to overcome them.

According to the Children’s Bureau of The Office of the Administration for Children & Families, out of 71,500 children awaiting adoption a total of 66,000 were adopted by families in 2019 indicating a 92% adoption rate, a significant increase from an 81% adoption rate in 2010. States with the highest adoption rates include California, Florida, and Texas[2]. Although these rates indicate that many families are stepping up to meet the massive need within the foster care system, many of these families are unprepared for the physical and mental health challenges they may face raising a child who has come out of foster care or the emotional burden it may place on their already existing family[3].

Many children and youth coming out of foster care have significant histories of trauma and abuse, which most individuals are not well-equipped to understand or manage[4]. An exhaustive literature review show that children in foster care are at significantly increased risk for suicidality, depression, PTSD, anxiety, behavioral difficulties, and many other mental health challenges, which can add increased stress to the adopting family’s household[5]. Factors such as older age at adoption, specialized medical needs, and male gender all lead to an increased risk of needing significant mental health treatment after adoption[6]. According to foster care adoptive parents, the biggest barriers to successful adoptions are the behavioral challenges of the children and the lack of mental health providers who are adequately trained to treat issues of attachment[7]. There may also be significant challenges for children from minority groups such as racial and ethnic minorities or gender and sexual minorities that acts as an additional barrier for children looking to be adopted and may deter well-equipped and eager adoptive parents[8].  There is a need for better  trainings on parenting skills from mental health professionals that includes a focus on providing psychoeducation surrounding what to expect behaviorally and emotionally from their adopted child(ren), as well as how to implement behavior strategies to manage more challenging behaviors.  

So, what can families, either seeking to adopt or have already adopted, do to ease the transition for their children and youth?

First, find support and connection to the adoptive parent community via peer support groups, local foster care events, and therapeutic organizations (see a list of these resources below). By developing a strong support network of other parents walking through similar experiences, adoptive parents can create a safe space for themselves in which they can talk through the more challenging experiences, thus decreasing stress and increasing well-being[9]. Secondly, seek out therapeutic services early and often. It is not enough for the child to just attend weekly outpatient therapy or occasionally meet with the school counselor. Instead, the entire family system must be deeply involved in multiple levels of support including individual therapy for each family member, family therapy, couple’s therapy, and school-based supports[10]. One of the most important factors for improving the adoption process is to develop a secure attachment between the child(ren) and the new adoptive parents[11]. Secure attachment is developed when caregivers are attuned to the child(ren)’s physical, emotional, and social needs, providing a secure base from which children feel confident and able to explore their world and a safe haven, to which they can return and receive comfort when the world becomes too scary[12]. Lastly, families need to work to educate themselves on foster children’s experiences, what to expect with adoption, common trauma reactions, how these present in children, and what they can do to help[13].

Seek out classes, trainings, seminars, and support from therapists. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, request more support, and advocate for both yourself, your child(ren), and your family.

There is also significant hope for adoptive families because they are not alone in their struggles and challenges and there are solutions. The process of adoption gives a child a chance at a new life, a life full of hope, support, success, and experiences beyond their wildest dreams. Adoption also gives families the chance to impact the world in a positive way, elicit changes in the larger systems, and have the wonderful experience of gaining a new member of their family. The Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) is committed to offering services and supports for a wide variety of diverse populations, especially individuals who have been impacted by trauma and abuse. IVAT will be working towards providing a psychoeducation-based parenting groups that addresses symptoms of trauma in children, how parents can develop skills to regulate and calm themselves, and how they can support their child(ren) in developing these same skills. A list of resources is provided below to help families connect with the available supports and develop the skills they need to make a change in the world by adopting a child in need.

Resources

 ·       Adoption Specific Therapy: A Guide to Helping Adopted Children and Their Families Thrive – Jill Waterman, Audra K. Langley, Jeanne Miranda, and Debbie B. Riley

·       AdoptUSKids - https://www.adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-foster-care/parenting-support/for-adoptive-parents

·       Annie E. Casey Foundation - https://www.aecf.org/blog/resources-for-foster-parents

·       Brave Love - https://www.bravelove.org/get_help?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5oiMBhDtARIsAJi0qk3aIHHStzVJjADX5x1UnyRTu08Uij-S7bENDfJUE-IeVF6fHzgO_McaAkPyEALw_wcB

·       Center for Parent Information & Resources - https://www.parentcenterhub.org/

·       Child Welfare Information Gateway - https://www.childwelfare.gov/

·       Children’s Home Society - https://chssd.org/foster-care-and-adoption/resources?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5oiMBhDtARIsAJi0qk2D_WAD-y2RbOOM3X1JjxORIOGoVb4ZxKuHplsTsOwH5pz6jt4kMhMaAt5LEALw_wcB

·       Family Works Together - https://www.familyworkstogether.org/counseling/post-adoption-counseling/

·       Kennedy Krieger Institute - https://www.kennedykrieger.org/community/initiatives/therapeutic-foster-care/additional-resources/feels-like-home

·       Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/archive?search=Adoption&section=All

·       San Diego Center for Children - https://www.centerforchildren.org/our-services/foster-care/therapeutic-services-in-foster-homes/

·       Voices for Children - https://www.speakupnow.org/

References

 Barnett, E. R., Jankowski, M. K., Butcher, R. L., Meister, C., Parton, R. R., & Drake, R. E. (2017). Foster and adoptive parent perspectives on needs and services: A mixed methods study. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 45, 74-89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-017-9569-4

 Barone, L., Lionetti, F., & Green, J. (2017). A matter of attachment? How adoptive parents foster post-institutionalized children’s social and emotional adjustment. Attachment & Human Development, 19(4), 323-339. https://doi.org/10.1080/146734.2017.1306714

 Engler, A. D., Sarpong, K. O., Van Horne, B. S., Greeley, C. S., Keefe, R. J. (2020). A systematic review of mental health disorders of children in foster care. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 1524838020941197. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020941197

 Lee, B. R., Kobulsky, J. M., Brodzinsky, D., & Barth, R. P. (2018). Parent perspectives on adoption preparation: Findings from the modern adoptive families project. Children and Youth Services Review, 85, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.12.007

 Mariscal, E. S., Akin, B. A., Lieberman, A. A., & Washington, D. (2015). Exploring the path from foster care to stable and lasting adoption: Perceptions of foster care alumni. Children and Youth Services Review, 55, 111-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.05.017

McWey, L. M., Henderson, T. L., & Tice, S. N. (2006). Mental health issues and the foster care system: An examination of the impact of the adoption and safe families act. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32(2), 195-214.

 Ross, L., Epstein, R., Goldfinger, C., Steele, L., Anderson, S., & Strike, C. (2008). Lesbian and queer mothers navigating the adoption system: The impacts on mental health. Health Sociology Review, 17(3), 254-266.

 Salter-Ainsworth, M. D., Blehar, M.C., Waters, E., & Wall, Sally, N. (2015). Patterns of Attachment: A         Psychological Study of the Strange Situation. Routledge.

 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2018, August). Trends in foster care & adoption: FY 2010-2019. Children’s Bureau: An Office of the Administration for Children & Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/trends-foster-care-adoption-2019

[1] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2018

[2] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2018

[3] McWey et al., 2006

[4] Greiner & Beal, 2017

[5]Engler et al., 2020

[6] Tan & Marn, 2013

[7] Barnett et al., 2017

[8] Ross et al., 2008

[9] Lee et al., 2018

[10] Lee et al., 2018

[11] Barone et al., 2017

[12] Ainsworth et al., 2015

[13] Barone et al., 2017