29.6 Adoption Disruption
The vast majority of families succeed in establishing permanent homes for children they have adopted. However, in spite of the best intentions of the family and the agency some placements fail. According to the findings of a survey conducted by the University of Maine less than ten (10) percent of adoptions disrupt within the first three (3) years of the placement. There are a number of factors which may contribute to a disruption. These factors include:
- Mismatch - Adoptive family is unable to tolerate child's characteristics, behavior or personality due to incompatibility with parental values and/or lifestyles. Also, the child's characteristics, behavior or personality, are in conflict with adoptive parents' stated preferences.
- Inadequate preparation - Child has not adequately resolved past losses or future expectations. Also, the adoptive family has accepted a child for placement without the knowledge/skills necessary to cope with the child's special needs.
- Lack of support services - Either the agency has failed to provide or the family has not made use of services needed to support and sustain the placement. Also, the family may not have or is unable to seek out support from friends and relatives or kin.
- Failure to form emotional attachments - Parents personalize and misunderstand the child's behavior. Child's past experiences, relationships and/or emotional problems impede his ability to bond with a new family.
- Marital/family relationship problems - Children with special needs may place heavy demands on the time and energy of the parents which affects the relationship of family members.
- Developmental stage of child - Parents may be quite competent in caring for a child until he reaches a certain developmental stage, i.e., adolescence.
Many adoption disruptions can be avoided through adequate preparation, support services and through open communication between the Children’s Service Worker and the family. However, on occasion the first indication of difficulties in the placement occurs during a crisis, i.e., the family requests that the child be removed or a child abuse/neglect report is made. When such a crisis occurs, the worker should respond immediately and take the following steps:
- Assess safety of the child;
- Assess family's interest and/or ability to preserve the child's placement. Assessment should include individual interviews with the parent and child;
- Ask the family and the child to identify what they want/need to keep
family intact. Some services which are available to the family include:
- Respite care;
- Individual/family therapy;
- Family Preservation;
- Support group;
- Mentor;
- Assistance in obtaining additional information regarding child's needs/condition;
- Parent education including youth with elevated needs Level A and B resource provider training; and
- Out-of-home placement, i.e., foster care, residential care, etc.
If all efforts to preserve the family unit fail and the placement disrupts, the Children’s Service Worker should do the following:
- Involve family in plan for child's removal from the home including explaining
to the child why the placement did not succeed. The plan should
include:
- Placement options including another adoptive placement.
- Plan for continued contact between child and family.
- Closure with the family, if appropriate.
- Maintain close contact with child following disruption. At least weekly if geographically feasible.
- Evaluate what you learned about the child, family and self and how this information can be applied in making future child/parent matches.
- Schedule a FST meeting to reassess the goal for the child.
NOTE: Placement disruption can be a very stressful situation for the Children’s Service Worker as well as the child and family. The worker may assume blame and responsibility for the disruption. Supervisors should acknowledge these feelings and provide supports necessary to cope with/resolve these feelings.