Attachment formation within adoptive families and post-adoption support

N Mihoc,Gabriela Dima

doi:10.31926/but.ssl.2020.13.62.3.10

Abstract

This study aims to explore the experience of the adoptive families related to the attachment formation with the adopted child. Existing post-adoption services are explored. The study design is qualitative and triangulated the data from interviews with 11 adoptive parents, with a wide range of attachment relationship experience, from observation within a support group for adoptive parents, from interviews with specialists working in the statutory and private sector in the adoption field, and from social documents. Data analysis made use of the thematic analysis and storytelling. The key factors facilitating the attachment process are discussed and several recommendations for post-adoption services are made.

Highlights

The large number of abandoned children in Romania, as well as the awareness-raising campaigns on the growth of this phenomenon have turned adoption into an issue of primary importance on the contemporary social scene.According to the statistics in the National Register for Adoptions, on 30.06.2016, the number of adoptable children amounted to 3250, out of which 2716 represented the number of nationally adoptable children and 534 the number of internationally adoptable children
The themes emphasised by the specialists refer to: the existing statutory and private post-adoption services; the utility of post-adoption services; the collaboration between statutory and private services in the field; the problems encountered by the adoptive families; the factors impacting he child’s integration in the adoptive family; the identity issues for adoptive children; the awareness of the need for the adoptive parents’ postadoption support; accessing post-adoption support; expected legislative and/or system’s changes
The therapeutic story Dew from the Heart is the result of this qualitative research on the formation of attachment relationship in the adoptive families, putting together, as in a puzzle, through storytelling, the stories of the adoptive parents and of the experts in the field of adoption, but especially the adopted children’s feelings, which emerge from the actions and events described

Summary

Introduction

The large number of abandoned children in Romania, as well as the awareness-raising campaigns on the growth of this phenomenon have turned adoption into an issue of primary importance on the contemporary social scene.According to the statistics in the National Register for Adoptions, on 30.06.2016, the number of adoptable children amounted to 3250, out of which 2716 represented the number of nationally adoptable children and 534 the number of internationally adoptable children. The large number of abandoned children in Romania, as well as the awareness-raising campaigns on the growth of this phenomenon have turned adoption into an issue of primary importance on the contemporary social scene. The number of the families/persons certified for adoption, with the statement in force on 30.06.2016 was 1881, out of whom 1800 certified for national adoption and 81 certified for international adoption The theoretical part of this study is split into three subparts, which present the abandonment and its effects, the Adoption and integration of the child in the adoptive family. We understand by abandoned child every child who doesn‘t live with his parents/one of his parents and the responsibility of the growth, education and care is transferred to an institution or to another person who is not his relative.” We understand by abandoned child every child who doesn‘t live with his parents/one of his parents and the responsibility of the growth, education and care is transferred to an institution or to another person who is not his relative.” (Miftode, 2002, p. 262)

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Conclusion