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POST-ADOPTION SUPPORT FOR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES IN AUSTRALIA:IS IT TIME FOR THE ‘TRIPLE-A’ APPROACH?

POST-ADOPTIONSUPPORT FORADOPTIVEFAMILIESINAUSTRALIA:Isittimeforthe‘tripleA’approach?

AdoptChangeResearch,November2016

Researcher:DrTanyaBretherton

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©CopyrightAdoptChangeLimited2016

AboutAdoptChange

AdoptChangebelievesthateverychildhasarightto

growupinapermanent,stableandlovinghome,and

embracesadoptionasapositiveandimportantway

offormingthatfamily.

AdoptChange’smissionis:

•toraisecommunityawareness

•encourageethicalreform

•empowerAustralian’stoengagewithissues

surroundingadoption

Formoreinformationcontact

[email protected]

www.adoptchange.org.au

AbouttheResearcher

DrTanyaBrethertonisaSydney-based

researchconsultant,sociologistandwriter.

DrBrethertonhastwentyyearsexperienceinthe

fieldsofearlychildhooddevelopment,education

andcare,organisationalcultureandprofessional

development.Shehaspublishedbothdomestically

andinternationallyonawiderangeofissuesthat

impactthesafetyandsecurityofchildrenand

youngpeople.

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ExecutiveSummaryAdoptionpracticeinAustralianowstandsatacross-road.Overthepasttwodecadesresearchers,lawyersand

practitionersinthechildprotectionfieldhavealignedtheireffortsaroundthecoreconceptoftransparencyin

adoption.ThesocialandemotionaldamagecausedbythehistoryofclosedadoptioninAustraliaisnowwidely

acknowledged.Improvedopennessinadoptionnowrepresentstheprevailinggoalofcurrentandemerging

practiceworkbecausethisisarguedtoyieldstrongbenefitsforchildrenintermsofhealthyattachmentand

identitydevelopment.Inmovingtowardsthisobjective,childprotectiveservicesandadoptionexpertsacross

Australiaareseekingtoreviseandadaptlegislation,policyandpracticeinadoptioninwayswhichaffirm

opennesswhilealsoensuringchildrenandfamiliesremainwellsupported.Theconstituentelementsofimpactful

andmeaningfulsupportsforadoptivechildrenandtheirfamilieshowever,remainfarfromclearandcontinueto

bedefined.

Todate,clarityontheissueofpostadoptionsupporthasbeendifficulttoachieveforanumberofreasons.

Firstlytheprovisionofpost-adoptionsupporthasrepresentedalowerorderpriorityforlocalchildprotective

services.ThenumbersofchildreninfostercareinAustraliahasgrownandbothgovernmentandNGOsrightfully

continuetodevotesignificantresourcestomeetingtheneedsofchildreninstatutoryOutofHomeCare(OOHC)

forwhomsafe,secureandpermanenthomesforlifehavenotyetbeenachieved.Asaconsequencehowever,

capacitytoprovidepost-adoptionsupportshasbeenconstrainedandaspiritedpublicdebatesurroundingthese

issueshasnotoccurred.Secondlythestatisticalcaseforpost-adoptionsupporthasbeendifficulttoestablish.

Therearenoregularlycollectedsurveyscapableofprovidingeithertimeseriesdataonchangingdemand,nor

insightsonindicativecurrentdemandforpost-adoptionsupport.Ofthetwonationalagenciesresponsiblefor

consolidatingandpublishingdataonchildren,familycharacteristicsandparentinginAustralia,neithertheABS

norAIHWcanprovidequantitativeinsightsonpost-adoptionsupportspecifically.

Thispaperoffersnewinsightsontheissueofpost-adoptionsupportinAustraliabyofferinganalternative

approach.Ratherthanseekingtolookdirectlyatdemand,thispaperexaminesthesharedelementsofadoption

experiences,andtheknownempiricalevidenceregardingtheseexperiences.

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Ananalysisofkeyfindingstoemergefrompublishedresearchliteraturefindsthatarobustrationaleforthe

provisionofpost-adoptionsupportinAustraliaisalreadypresent.Tenkeyfactorsunderpinexperiencesof

adoptivefamiliesinAustraliainthecontemporarycontextofopenadoption.Thetenreasonsidentifiedbelow

eachindicateaneedfortheavailabilityofpost-adoptionsupportsforadoptivefamilies.

1. Adoptivefamiliesexperienceasequenceofemotionallyintenseexperienceswhichdonotconformto

acceptedarchetypesoffamilyformation.

2. Modernformsofopenadoptionrepresentaradicaldeparturefromhistoricalformsofclosedadoption,and

thesocialnormssurroundingparentinginthiscontextcontinuetobeformed.

3. Socialstigmaspervadeadoptionexperiences.

4. Birthparentsareco-creatorsofattachmentandidentityforchildren.Adoptiveparentsneedknowledgeand

practicalskillsinsupportingtheirchildrentoexploreandunderstandhowtheseexperiencescreateanintact

andwholesenseofself.

5. Manyadoptivechildrenhaveexperiencednotjustsinglebutmultipletraumaeventsleadinguptotheir

placementwithanadoptivefamily.Complex,andpotentiallycostlyongoingtherapeuticsupportsoften

needtobeprovidedtochildrentohelpdealwiththistrauma.

6. Adoptiveparentsarelikelytohaveexperiencedtheirownemotionalhardshipsandchallengesintheroad

toadoption.

7. Childhoodtraumasexperiencedpre-adoptionmeanthatnicheparentingskillsor‘therapeuticparenting’will

berequiredbytheadoptiveparents.

8. Adoptivefamiliesareatincreasedriskofexperiencingsecondarytrauma.

9. Structuralbarriersexistandpoorlevelsof‘adoptioncompetence’acrossmanypartsofthehumanservices

systempreventadoptivefamiliesfrombothseekingandreceivinghelp.

10. Australiaisasignatorynationtoanumberofinternationalagreementswhichhighlightthestate’sobligation

toprovideongoingpostadoptionsupportforadoptivefamiliesandtheirchildren.

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Withthecaseforpost-adoptivesupport

established,thesecondpartofthispaperis

devotedtothestructureandcompositionofpost-

adoptionsupports.Ananalysisofpractitioner

reflections,publishedresearchandprogram

evaluationsonpost-adoptivesupportsisusedto

generateaconceptualframework.Akeyfindingof

thispaperisthatpost-adoptivesupportsextend

wellbeyondconventionalunderstandingsof

therapeuticandcaseworkinterventionswhichhave

traditionallydefinedthechildprotectionspace.

Analysisofpostadoptionsupports,particularly

thosepresentintheUSandUK,identifiesthree

distinctlydifferentmodesofsupport.The

conceptualframeworkpresentedhereinhighlights

thatpostadoptionsupportsarestructuredaround

threecategoriesofactivity-aid,allyoradvocacy-

based-modesofsupport.Forthepurposesofthis

paperthesethreeactivitiesarelabelledthe‘triple

A’approachbecausethisnotonlyaccurately

describesthediversemodesofactivitythatcanbe

usedtosupportadoptiveparentsandadoptive

childrenbutalsothesuperlativeskillandhigh

qualitycaseworkwhichmustalwaysbetheprimary

goalofpractitionersengagedinidentifying,and

workingfor,thebestinterestsofthechild.

AidandassistanceInthepostadoptionphase,itislikelythatchildrenwill

needaccesstospecializedsupportsbecauseof

historiesemergingfrompriortraumaexperiences

associatedwithabuse,neglect,removaland/ortimein

OOHC.Theseformsofsupports,labelledforthe

purposesofthispaperas‘aid-based’supportsarethe

mosttypicalformsofsupportaccessedbyadoptive

childrenandtheirfamilies.

TheroleofadvocacyEffectivepostadoptionsupportincludesacategoryof

activitieswhichdonotinvolvedispensationofdirect

therapeuticassistancetoadoptivefamilies.Advocacy-

basedsupportsareimportantbecausetheyseekto

changetheprofileofservicesavailabletofamiliesand

arefocusedonawarenessraisingandthechangingof

socialnormsandsocietalunderstandingsofadoption

experiences.

Theimportanceofadoptionalliesintheprovisionofpost-adoptionsupportsAwiderangeofresearchfindingsandpractice

highlighttheneedforthebroaderhumanservices

systemtobepopulatedwithkeyprofessionalswho

exhibitsophisticatedlevelsofadoptionawareness,

knowledgeofthelegalandpracticeterrainof

adoption,andareadinesstoadapttothechanging

needsofadoptivefamilies.

Thenotionofanallyisdifferenttothetraditional

notionofanambassadororachampionforacause.

Ambassadorsmayworkinthecollectiveinterestsof

anissueorgroupofstakeholders.Incontrast,‘allies’

haveamuchmoredirectandappliedroleandcan

workcloselyinhigh-trustrelationshipswithfamilies

tocreateanddelivermeaningfulsupportsofrelevance

tothem.

Theconceptualframeworkpresentedbythispaper

seekstobringadeeperunderstandingtotherationale

underpinningpost-adoptionsupportprovisionin

Australiaandhighlightsthatarangeofsystemic

responsesareneededinboththeshortandlongterm.

Thispaperarguesthatthemeaningfulclassificationof

postadoptionsupportsisnotonlypossiblebutis

instructivetounderstandingsofthefuture

developmentandadaptationofthesesupportsin

Australia.

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IntroductionThispaperexploresapproachestopost-adoption

supportforadoptivefamiliesandadopteesandoffers

insightsonthisareaofservicedeliveryinthecontext

ofcontemporaryhumanservicespracticeinAustralia1.

Theconclusionsofthispaperareinformedbythe

findingsofdomesticandinternationalresearch

literaturewhichhasbeenevaluated,comparedand

distilledwithaviewto:

• Capturingthediversityofpost-adoptionsupports

available;

• Codifyingthisdiversityinawaythatdeepens

understandingofthepurposeandeffectivenessof

differentmodelsofsupport;and

• Contributingtobroaderpolicyandprogram

discussionsofpost-adoptionsupportsintothe

future.

Understandingthebroadcontextforpost-adoptioninAustralia

Thereisadearthofstatisticalevidencecapableof

pinpointingkeyareasofdemandforpostadoption

servicesinAustralia.Whilepostadoptionsupports

aremoreprevalentoverseas,thesejurisdictionsalso

citechallengesinthepursuitofdataofquality,

accuracyandcomparabilityinthefieldofpost-

adoptiondemand(Holmesetal2013).Asitstands,

therearenosharedsector-wideconventions

regardingeitherdefinitionsofsupport,noragreed

measurementsofeffectiveness(Selwynetal2014;

Zamostnyetal2003;Post2000).Anarrayofstudies

canprovideinsightsonthedesignelementsassociated

withpostadoptionsupports,howeverduetothe

limitedstatisticalevidenceavailable,anydefinitive

statementsaboutthelongtermimpactsderivedfrom

specificpostadoptionsupportsmustbecarefully

considered.

1Thepurviewofthispaperisconfinedtotheexperiences

ofadoptivefamilieswhohaveundertakentheirjourneyin

theeraofopenadoption.Adoptionsupports,policyand

practicepertainingtotwokeystakeholdergroups-birth

parentsandfamilieswhocontinuetolivewiththelegacy

oftheclosedadoptionsystem-arenotdiscussedwithin

thispaper.Theauthorrespectfullynotestheimportance

ofthesestakeholderviews,andfurtherarguesthatbut

theirexperiencesareofsuchgreatsignificancethat

effectivenessoffocusedsupportstothesestakeholders

warrantsdistinctlyseparateanddetailedexamination.

Thereishowever,avastbodyofemergingprimary

datasourcesonchildhooddevelopment,theoretical

literatureonattachmentandsecondarysourcesof

evidenceexploringparadigmsoffamilyandparenting.

Thesesourcesofinformationcanbeusedtoshedlight

onhowpostadoptionsupportmightbeconfiguredin

Australia.Thediscussionbelowlookssystematicallyat

rationalesfortheprovisionforpostadoptionsupport,

andtheoptionsavailablewhenseekingtoconsolidate

orexpandfeaturesofprogramdesigninthisfield.

Whymightadoptivefamiliesneedsupportpost-adoption?

Inseekingtounderstandthenatureanddegreeof

supportrequiredbyadoptivefamiliesafterthemaking

ofafinaladoptionorder,anumberofchallenges

emerge.Thedemographic,socio-culturaland

compositionaldynamicsofadoptivefamiliesvary

greatlyandhavediversesupportneeds(Holmesetal

2013;Hushionetal2006).Inaddition,thearcofan

adoptionjourneyislifelong,withquestionsofidentity

andbelonginglikelytoberevisitedthroughoutan

adoptee’slifetime(Kenneally2012;Dunbaretal2004;

McManus1992).Giventhelimitationsofthedata

currentlyavailable,estimatingthemagnitudeand

intensityofsupportslikelytobeneededbyadoptive

familiesisnotpossible.However,thereareanumber

ofkey,well-documentedanduncontestedfactors

whichappearuniversaltoopenadoptionexperiences

andestablishabaselinerationalefortheprovisionof

postadoptionsupportinAustralia.Thispaperoffers

newinsightsontheissueofpost-adoptionsupportby

lookingmorecloselyatthesharedelementswhich

defineadoptionexperiences,andtheknownempirical

evidenceregardingtheseexperiences.Thefollowing

discussionprovidesabriefsummaryofthese

elements.

1 Adoptivefamiliesexperienceasequenceofemotionallyintenseexperienceswhichdonotconformtoacceptedarchetypesoffamilyformation

Whethertheadoptionisinter-country,known,local

and/oremergingfromastatutorycareexperience,all

adoptionshaveacommonbedrockofexperiences

whichwithoutexceptionmean:

• Achildhasexperiencedabreakinattachmentto

birthparent/swhichoffersprofoundpotentialfor

attachment-relatedtraumatoemergeforthe

childatsomepointthroughoutlife(Pennyetal

2007);

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• Everydayparentingisidentifiedtobenolonger

possibleforthebirthparentsorkinofthebirth

familyofachild;

• Theadoptivefamilyrepresentsapermanentand

lovingfamilyhomeforthechild,andthis

arrangementisformalisedusinglegalprocess

whichiscomplexandpresentsemotional

challengesforallparties;and

• Thatadoptivefamiliesassocialinstitutionsface

heightenedexpectationswhichexceedthose

placeduponbiological,nuclearfamilies.Asfamily

unitsadoptivefamiliesareanticipatedtobesites

forprofoundlytherapeuticandtransformative

experiencestooccur.Adoptivefamiliesareplaces

ofhopeandpromiseforbothadoptiveparents

andchildren.

Thecombinedimpactoftheseexpectationsand

experiencescanmeanthatadoptivefamiliesand

adoptivechildrenfaceextremelyhighsocietal

expectationswhichmaybeneartoimpossibletofulfil.

2 Modernformsofopenadoptionrepresenta

radicaldeparturefromhistoricalformsofclosedadoption,andthesocialnormssurroundingparentinginthiscontextcontinuetobeformed

Theimmensepsycho-socialdamagecausedbyclosed

adoptionhasbeenwelldocumentedinmany

jurisdictionsacrosstheworld(Grotevantetal2014;

AdoptionInstitute2007;Baran&Pannor1993).The

closedadoptionsystemhasleftavastlegacyofsocial

andfamilialnarrativesaboutadoptionwhichare

powerfulandcontinuetoshapenormativebeliefsand

understandingsofadoption.Negativeperceptionsof

adoptioncontinuetoimpactadoptivefamiliestoday,

eventhoseparticipatinginopenandtransparent

adoptionprocesses,becauseofthenegativelongterm

personal,socialandeconomiccostsofclosedadoption

(Grotevantetal2014;Higgins2010).

Thereisnowstrongandgrowingconsensusamongst

academicandpractitionercommunitiesandgrowing

acceptancewithinthebroadercommunitythatopen

adoptionisbeneficialforchildrenandtheirfamilies

(deRosnay2016;Bergeetal2006;Berryetal1998).

However,widerunderstandingsabouthowbestto

‘do’openadoptionareonlynowbeginningtobecome

partofconsolidateddiscoursesonfamilyandfamily

practice(NSWFACS2016).Inhelpingadoptive

childrentonavigateattachment,identityandcontact

issues,adoptiveparentsarenotabletodrawona

bankofaccumulatedunderstandingsnorknownsocial

normstoinformparentingbehaviour(Brodzinsky

2015;Parker2003;Livingston-Smith&Howard1999).

Foradoptiveparents,theclosedadoptionsystem

offersfewinstructiveinsightsandlittletono

informationabouthowtocreateatransparentand

openfamilyclimate,andsustainthisopennessinan

ageappropriatewaythroughoutthecourseof

childhood.Therelative‘newness’ofopenadoptionas

aconceptmeansthatsocietyisonlynowtrulycoming

totermswithwhattransparentadoptionmeansfor

children,youngpeopleandtheirfamilies.

3 Socialstigmaspervadeadoptionexperiences

Stigmasaboutadoptivefamiliesarereinforcedin

societyusingbothovertandsubtlemeans.Feelinga

senseof‘difference’iscommontoadoptivechildren

andtheirfamilies,andthishasbeenwelldocumented

(Brodzinsky2011).Whileadetailedexaminationof

thecomplexitiesassociatedwiththesocietalstigmaof

adoptionliesbeyondthescopeofthepaperitisworth

notingthatlanguageandterminologyappliedto

adoptivefamiliesispowerfullystigmatizing.The

descriptionofchildrenas‘adopted’isitself

problematicasonehighprofileUSadoptionadvocate

notesbecause“childrenbegintounderstandthatthe

word‘adopted’mustmeanthisisthemostimportant

thingtheyneedtoknowaboutthemselves”(Cravens

2016).Labelssuchasdissolutionanddisruptionare

oftenusedbypractitioners,withthebestof

intentions,tojustifyaccesstopost-adoptionsupport

butultimatelyservetofurtherentrenchstigmas

surroundingadoptiveexperience.AsSelwynetal

(2014)notes,theterm‘dissolve’intensifies

perceptionsofadoptivefamiliesasabnormalbecause

thetermisneverusedtodescribetheexperiencesof

non-adoptivefamilies,evenwhenfacingperiodsof

disconnectionandcrisis.

4 Birthparentsareco-creatorsofattachmentandidentityforchildren.Adoptiveparentsneedknowledgeandpracticalskillsinsupportingtheirchildrentoexploreandunderstandhowtheseexperiencescreateanintactandwholesenseofself.

Sincethe1980s,threekeysourcesofevidencehave

consistentlyhighlightedtheneedforadoptiveparents

tobeawareofandresponsivetotheneedforchildren

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tomaintainsomeengagementwithbirthfamily

and/orbirthfamilyhistory.

Thevoicesofadopteesthemselveshavehelpedto

broadenperceptionsandenrichunderstandingsof

adoption.Sincethe1980s,publishedlifehistory

narrativesofadoptivepeoplehavemadeanimportant

contributiontothebodyofevidenceassociatedwith

adoption.Inparticular,thesenarrativeshighlightthat

adoptiveparentsplayacriticalroleinhelpingtheir

childrentounderstandtheirhistorybyremainingopen

totalkingfreelyandwithoutjudgementaboutbirth

familywhenchildrenneedto.IntheUSforexample,

BettyJeanLifton’sworkhashelpedtore-define

mainstreamunderstandingofadoptionintheUS

(2009;1994)byemphasizingtheimportantrole/sof

bothadoptiveparentsandbirthparentsinadoptive

experiences.InAustralia,thelifelongshameandgrief

whichindividualsandcommunitiesexperiencedwhen

theopportunitytoexplorebirthandculturalhistory

wassuppressedhasbeenexploredinnational

inquiriestodocumenttheexperiencesofforced

adoptioncommontotheForgottenAustraliansand

theStolenGeneration(CommonwealthofAustralia

2004;HREOC1997).Thecontinuingforcedclosed

adoptionofAboriginalchildrenupuntilthe1980s

makesthesensitivitiesandimpactsassociatedwith

adoptionveryrecentandveryrealfortheAustralian

communityandtheAustralianpsyche(Gair2012).

Someresearchersarguethatthecumulativeimpact

ofthetraumacreatedbyclosedadoptionforchildren

andtheirfamilieshaspermanentlyre-castthinking

aboutclosedadoptionandintensifiedtheneedfor

adoptivefamiliestoremainsensitivetotheneedsof

birthparentsparticularlyinAustralia(Swain&Swain

1992).

Theacademicbodyofevidencesurroundingidentity,

attachmentandchildrenhasgrownoverthelasttwo

decadesandthisoverwhelminglyhighlightsaneedfor

awarenessofandengagementwithbirthparentsand

birthfamily(whereverpossible)forchildren.The

bodyofliteratureontheimpactoftrauma

experiencesonchildhooddevelopmentissignificant

andgrowing.Researchfindingsnotethattheabilityof

childrentoexperience‘feltsecurity’andattainasense

ofsafetyinthepostadoptivephasecanbeprofoundly

impaired(Peterson2012).AsBeauchamp(2014),

citingtheevocativewordsoftheNationalCouncilfor

AdoptionintheUK,notesthattheadoptiveperiodis

whenthegenuinetherapeuticworkonpasttrauma

beginsas“childrenareleftwithasuitcaseofquestions

andfeelingsoftraumaandloss”.

Thefieldofchildprotectionhasalsore-defined

relationshipsbetweenadoptivefamiliesandbirth

families.Practitionersworkinginthisfieldhave

identifiedadoptivefamiliestoplayacentralrolein

facilitatingandmaintainingopenadoption

partnerships(NSWFACS2016).Practitionershighlight

thatprescientknowledgeofbirthparents/familyand

improvedcommunicationskillscanassistadoptive

familiesinnegotiatingtheserelationships.Thenotion

of‘communicativeopenness’forexample,has

emergedasanimportantconceptwhichpractitioners

usetodescribeappropriatemessagingbetween

adoptiveparentandchildaroundissuesofbirth

parentandbirthfamily(Jones&Hackett2007).

Asoneresearcheraffirms,theeffectivenessof

communicativeopennessisabsolutelycriticalandcan

eitherhelporharmchildren(Brodzinsky2011;

Brodzinsky2005).Asitstands,thecurrentpractice

frameworkssurroundingcommunicativeopennessare

under-developedandwillrequiresignificant

adaptationiftheyaretobetranslatedintomaterials

whichcanbeusedtosupport,instructandguide

adoptiveparents.“Adoptionsocialworkandsupport

practiceswill,inmostcases,needtobesignificantly

reformedsoastoadequatelysupportthecapacityof

adoptiveparentstonavigateboththeirownemotions

aroundadoptionaswellasthesocialstigmathey

encounter,andtherebytofulfiltheircommunicative

obligations”(Baylis&McLeod2014).

Thevernacularsurroundingcommunicativeopenness

alsocontinuestochange(Cravens2016)andthis

reflectsthefluidityassociatedwithparenting

discoursesbetweenbirthparentsandadoptive

parents.Forexamplethetermbiologicalparentshas

slowlybeenreplacedwithbirthparents,whichisnow

beingreplacedinsomejurisdictionswitharangeof

alternativelabelsarguedtovalidatetheexperiencesof

birthparentswhilenotdiminishingtheprimary

importanceoftheadoptiveparentasthechild’s

parentor‘everydayparent’.Theemergenceofterms

suchas‘tummymummy’,‘firstparents’,‘parentsof

love’allindicatethatpractitionersthemselves

continuetoexperimentwiththelanguagethat

adoptiveparentsandchildrenmightapplysothat

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constructivemeaningcanbegeneratedfromthese

experiencesforadoptivechildreninthelongterm.

Whilethereisincreasinglystrongunderstandingthat

knowledge,awarenessandcontactwithbirthparents

canyieldstrongbenefitsforchildren,thepractice

whichmightsupportfamiliestoundertakethis

potentiallysensitiverelationshipmanagement

continuestoform.AsSelwynetal(2014)notessome

levelofopennessinadoptionhasformedpartof

mainstreamfostercareandpermanencypracticein

theUKforalongperiodoftime,yetknowledgeand

understandingsofattachmenttheorystillvaries

greatlyacrossthesector.

Itmustalsobenotedthatthereisinconsistencyin

practiceacrossthepost-adoptionsupportsector,and

adoptiveparentsfaceanincreasinglyconfusingrange

ofoptionswhenseekingadviceabouthowbestto

negotiaterelationshipswithbirthfamily,andmanage

conversationsandinformationwithinanadoptive

familyaboutcontact(Beauchamp2014;Egbert2003).

Putmoresimply,whatthesystemandsocietyrequires

ofadoptiveparentshassignificantlychanged,and

institutionalresponsesthatmightassistadoptive

parentsinmeetingthesechallengesremainwoefully

underdeveloped.

5 Manyadoptivechildrenhaveexperiencednotjustsinglebutmultipletraumaeventsleadinguptotheirplacementwithanadoptivefamily.Complex,andpotentiallycostlyongoingtherapeuticsupportsoftenneedtobeprovidedtochildrentohelpdealwiththistrauma.

Themajorityofchildrenwhoundergoadoptionhave

experiencedaremovalfrombirthfamilyduetoabuse,

traumaand/orneglect(NSWFACS2016;Crowe&

Murray2005).Whileitmustbenotedthatsome

childrenareadoptedthroughadirectnegotiation

betweenbirthparentandanadoptiveparent(a

knownlocaladoptionagreement)theseadoptionsare

extremelyrare(AIHW2015).

Earlytraumaevents,whethercomprisingphysical

abuse,emotionalabuseand/orneglectaffectneural

pathwaysinwayswhichmakechildrenvulnerableto

developmentalchallengesdownthetrack(Perry2004;

Perry&Pollard1998).Peterson(2012)notesthat

whilemanyadoptivechildrendonotexperience

significantchallenges,theredoesappeartobean

evidencebasesuggestingahigherincidenceof

behaviouralandemotionalissuesamongstadoptive

children(Barth&Miller2000;Brodzinsky1987).The

legacyoftraumaisalsoafeatureofintercountry

adoptionsbecausethereisahigherincidenceof

institutionalcareamongstchildrenadoptedfrom

overseassettings.Institutionalsettingshavetheir

owndocumentedlegacyofdevelopmentalandpsycho

social‘aftershocks’forchildren(Eigstietal2011:629).

Researchershighlightthatchildrenadoptedfrom

anothercountrylosenotjustfamilybuttheirsenseof

placeandcultureaswell(Peterson2012;Viana&

Welsh2010).

Whileitmustbenotedthatsocial,physicaland

emotionalchallengesareassociatedwiththe

developmentarcofanylifecourse,asnochildhoodis

troublefree,thesechallengesareintensifiedwhen

trauma,neglect,abuseorseveranceinprimarycare

attachmentformsthebackdropofexperience

(Peterson2012).“Formostchildrenadoptedfrom

caretheirchilddevelopmentwillhavebeen

compromisedbytheirexperiencesofabuseand

neglect,leavingthemwithalong-termlegacyof

emotional,behaviouralanddevelopmentaldifficulties.

Thosedifficultieswill,inturn,haveaneffectontheir

abilitytobuildandmaintainpositiveattachmentand

relationships,includingwiththeirnewadoptive

parentswhowillrepresenttheirbestopportunityof

overcomingtheimpactoftheirearlytrauma”

(Pennington2012:3).

Theactofadoptionitself,thoughapositiveandjoyful

event,canalsogenerateformsofgriefwhichchildren

finddifficulttocometotermswith(NSWFACS2016).

Adoptionpromptsidentityandattachmentquestions

whichwillberevisitedthroughoutayoungperson’s

life(NSWFACS2016;Morgan2006;Benevolent

Society2006).Adopteesgeneratetheirown

narrativesaboutadoption(Cravens2016)andthese

representaconfluenceofbothpositiveandnegative

imageryincluding:mediaandpopcultureportrayals;

psycho-socialunderstandingsofthefamilyand

relationships(Passmore,2007);culturalandsocio-

demographichistory;individualpersonalityand

disposition;discussionswithfamilyandpeers;and

corebeliefsaboutself(Pennyetal2007;Brodzinskyet

al1998).

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Researchevidencesuggestsconclusivelythatadoptive

parentsandadoptivechildrenwillhavetosensitively

manage,negotiateandaddressissuesofidentity,and

theywillneedsupportindoingso.Thedegreeofsupportrequiredhoweverisdifficulttoquantify,as

needswillvaryfromfamilytofamilyandindividualto

individual(Selwynetal2014).

6 Adoptiveparentsarelikelytohaveexperiencedtheirownemotionalhardshipsandchallengesintheroadtoadoption

Inthequesttofinalisealegaladoption,adoptive

parentshaveundoubtedlyfacedchallengeswhichmay

include:infertility(Goldbergetal2009);struggleswith

bureaucracy(Selwyn2014);financialdifficulties(NSW

FACS2016);andtheirownpersonalandemotional

journeytodevelopandgrowtoembracetheirroleas

parents(Brodzinsky1987).Experiencedadoption

agentsintheUSdescribetheprocessasoneof

claiming,carefullyacknowledgingandcomingtoterms

withthesimultaneouslossandjoythatcomeswith

becominganadoptiveparent(Cravens2016).

Peterson(2012)notesthatadoptiveparentstypically

holdexceptionallyhighexpectationsofthemselvesas

parentsandthisincreasestheirvulnerabilityto

perceivethemselvesasfailures.Adoptiveparents

absorbsocialnormsandexpectationsabouttherole

ofadoptiveparentsasheroesandrescuers,andthis

comeswithenormousandoftenunrealistic

expectations.

Socialmessagingsurroundingadoptionimpliesthat

withadoptioncomes“developmentalrecovery”forall

pasttraumas(Donaldson2013).However,society

doesnotplaceasimilarburdenonbiologicalparents

to‘heal’theirbiologicalchildrenofbehavioural,

psycho-social,mentalillnessandalloflife’s

challenges.Biologicalparentsareexpectedtocare

andnurture,butarenotexpectedtoassumefull

responsibilitywhenaparentcannotfully‘heal’their

child.Gair(2009)notesthatadoptiveparentsoften

believethattheycannotbeanythingotherthan

‘perfect’parents.Thisincreasestheriskofadoptive

parentstoarangeofpsychologicaltraumasincluding

specificformsofdepression(PADorpostadoptive

depression)whichissufferedexclusivelybyadoptive

parents(Peterson2012;Viana&Welsh2010;Senecky

etal2008).Whileadoptivemothersareoften

identifiedtobeatriskofthiscondition,thereisalso

anemergingbodyofclinicalresearchfindingswhich

identifiesadoptivefatherstobeatriskaswell

(Brabender&Fallon2013;Foli2010).

7 Childhoodtraumasexperiencedpre-adoptionmeanthatnicheparentingskillsor‘therapeuticparenting’willberequiredbytheadoptiveparents

Whenchildrenexperiencetrauma,conventional

approachestoparentingrequirerevisionanddifferent

parentingskillsareneeded.Thereisasignificantand

growingbodyofevidencewhichdemonstrates

conclusivelythatconventional‘learned’modelsof

parenting,particularlythosebasedonpunishment,do

notworkformanyadoptivechildrenandcancauseor

compoundtheharmassociatedwithpasttrauma

experiences.Beauchamp(2014)notesthatsuccessful

parentingstrategiesacrossarangeofpostadoption

supportschemesarethosethatfocusonnon-

punishmentbasedparenting.“Traditionalparenting

techniquesmaynotworkandadoptiveparentsmay

needtodevelopalternativeparentingstrategiesin

theirroleas‘therapeuticparents’fortraumatised

children”(Pennington2012:12).Inaddition,research

findingsnotethatthosechildrenwhohavebeen

victimsofsystematicabusechallengesmayalso

experiencedifficultiesreceivingintimacyandderiving

comfortandsafetyfromcaringparents(Selwynetal

2014).Traditionalnotionsofemotionallyaffective

parenting(includingphysicalcontactandhugging)can,

forsomechildren,re-visitpriortrauma.Somestudies

identifythatforadoptivechildren,‘commonsense

parenting’islesseffectiveorineffective(Peterson

2012).Whileitisnotpossibletonarrowlydefine

appropriateparentinginanadoptivecontext,because

everyparentandeverychildisdifferent,research

findingshighlightthattheemotionalhorizonfor

childrenwhohaveexperiencedadoptionisinherently

morecomplexandrequiresuniquesetsofparenting

skills.

11


8 Adoptivefamiliesareatincreasedriskofexperiencingsecondarytrauma

Adoptiveparentsandanychildrenofadoptiveparents

areatriskofexperiencingvicariousstressderived

fromthetrauma,abuseandneglecthistoriesof

adoptivechildren.Familiesaredeeplyinterconnected

social,psychologicalandemotionalsystemsandas

childrentrytocometotermswithidentityissuesor

pastissuesoftrauma,allotherfamilymemberswill

havearoleinthepsycho-therapeuticprocess(either

directlyorindirectly)andbepersonallyimpactedby

theseexperiences.AsPenningtonnotes“Anyonewho

spendstimewithatraumatisedchildmayexperience

secondarytrauma.Theempathyneededtoparent

suchachildproducespsychologicalchangesasthough

theparents/carersthemselveshavebeenexposedto

thetrauma,e.g.brainfunctionchanges,parentscan

becomelessarticulate,lessemotionallyliterate,more

angryanddespairing.Peoplewholivewith

traumatisedchildrenexperiencehighlevelsofstress

andneedappropriatesupporttoenablethemtocare

fortheirchildren”(2012:12).Putanotherway,the

issuesinunderstanding,navigatingandhealing

traumacanbephysiologically,emotionallyand

psychologicallycomplexandliebeyondtheabilityof

mostfamiliestohandleentirelyontheirown.

9 Structuralbarriersexistandpoorlevelsof‘adoption’competenceacrossmanypartsofthehumanservicessystempreventadoptivefamiliesfrombothseekingandreceivinghelp.

Acrossanumberofstudies,twobarriersare

consistentlynotedbyadoptiveparentsinthesearch

forpostadoptionsupport.Adoptivefamilieshavea

lackofinformationaboutwheretogoforservicesand

thecostofservicesofgenerallyprohibitiveaswell

(Selwynetal2014;Festinger2002;Soderlundetal

1995).Inarecentsurveyofadoptiveparentsinthe

UK,almosthalfofallparticipantsidentifiedtheyhad

troubleaccessingpostadoptionsupportbecausethey

couldnotlocatestaffwithadoptionspecific

knowledgeandskillswhocouldunderstandtheir

situation(Pennington2012).Morethanonequarter

ofalladoptiveparentssurveyedidentifiedthatthe

levelofunderstandingandexperienceamongst

professionalsindealingwithadoptionwasabarrierto

accessingsupport,andalmostonefifthidentifiedthat

theycouldnotaccesssupportbecausetheirlocal

agencywasnotskilledenoughtoidentifynorseetheir

problem.Similarly,adoptiveparentswhohave

undertakenanintercountryadoptionalsoidentifythat

postadoptionsupportisdifficulttolocate,andthe

challengestoaccessingprivatetherapywere

significantbecausefamilieshadoftenexhaustedtheir

financesinordertoactuallyadoptachildfrom

overseas(BenevolentSociety2013).

ExperienceintheUKhighlightsthateventhepresence

ofalegislated(mandated)entitlementtoadoption

supportservicesdoesnotensurethatthesystemis

appropriatelyequippedtodelivertheseservices.

Pennington(2012)notesmanyadoptivefamilieswho

hadformallyrequestedanassessmentforserviceshad

notreceivedit,andinothercasesfamilieshadbeen

assessedbutweredeemedineligibletoreceive

support.Otherstudiesidentifythatageneralizedlack

ofawarenessoftherangeofadoption-relevant

servicesamongstprofessionalstaffalsorepresenteda

significantbarriertoaccessingsupportamongst

familiesintheUSbecauseitinhibitedaprocessof

appropriatereferral(Patricelli2015).Selwynetal

(2014)notesthatappropriatelyskilledlabour,andthe

supplyofprofessionalswithadoption-relevant

knowledgeremainslow,evenincountrieswithhigh

levelsofadoptionsuchastheUK.Pennington(2012)

notesofthestudyofadoptionservicesintheUK,that

almosthalfofalladoptiveparentssurveyedidentified

a‘systemblockage’asthereasontheycouldnot

accesssupport.

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10 Australiaisasignatorynationtoanumberofinternationalagreementswhichhighlightthestate’sobligationtoprovideongoingpostadoptionsupportforadoptivefamiliesandtheirchildren

Asafinalnote,itisimportanttohighlightthatwhile

Australiahasgivenin-principlesupportfortwo

internationalconventionswhichspecificallycitethe

valueofpost-adoptionsupportsforadoptivefamilies,

thepolicyframeworksinthiscountrywithregardto

postadoptionsupportarehighlyfragmented.

AustraliaisasignatorytoboththeInternational

ConventionoftheRightsoftheChildandtheHague

AdoptionConvention,bothofwhichpointdirectlyto

theneedforgovernmentstodevelopandimplement

post-adoptionsupportsforadoptivefamilies.

TheInternationalConventionsoftheRightofthe

Child,Article39,identifiesthatthestate“shalltakeall

appropriatemeasurestopromotephysicaland

psychologicalrecoveryandsocialreintegrationofa

childvictimof:anyformofneglect,exploitation,or

abuse;tortureoranyotherformofcruel,inhumanor

degradingtreatmentorpunishment;orarmed

conflicts.Suchrecoveryandreintegrationshalltake

placeinanenvironmentwhichfostersthehealth,self-

respectanddignityofthechild”.Inthiscontext,the

entitlementofthevastmajorityofadoptivechildren

toreceiveadditionalformsofsupportisnotjust

implied,butclearlyassertedbecauseoftheirstatusas

survivorsoftraumaandabuse.

AustraliaisalsoamemberoftheInternationalHague

AdoptionConvention,whichaddressesissuesof

supportarisingfromintercountryadoptions

specifically.Theconventionbroadlyassertsaneedfor

ongoingsupportforchildrenwiththe“aimof

adequatepost-adoptionsupporttoprovidethesocial

andculturalprotectionofadoptedchildren”

(Bernacchietal2006).However,governments

worldwidehavebroughtvaryinginterpretationsto

bearinmakingprovisionforpostadoptionsupport/s.

Forexample,therapeuticsupports(counselling,

behaviouralmanagementandhealthservices)often

featureprominentlyinpostadoptionservicesyet“in

theHagueConventionprovisionsthereisno

mentioningofanyclinicaland/ormedicalintervention

inconnectionwithtypicalpost-adoptionservices”and

that“theseservicesaregenerallyprovidedbypublic

bodieseventhough,inmostCountries,theseactivities

arealsogenerallydelegatedtoprivateentities

providingservicesinthesocialsector”(Bernacchietal

2006).Asitstands,theneedforpostadoption

supportsareasserted,butthereislittleagreement

abouthowgovernmentscanbemadeaccountablefor

thesecommitmentsandthereforeenforcementhas

beendifficulttopursue.

Bothoftheseinternationalconventionshighlightthe

necessityforongoingsupportservices,afteralegal

adoptionorderisfinalized,yetthefocusand

outcomestobederivedfromtheseservicesremains

largelyunspecified.InAustralia,‘post-placement

support’forprospectiveadoptiveparents(carers)is

commonandtypically,initiatedandmaintainedprior

tothefinalizationofanadoptionorder.Post-adoption

supporthoweverisfragmented,andtypicallyprovided

byNGOsonasporadicandad-hocway.State

governmentshaveprimaryresponsibilityforchild

protectionissuesandthebureaucraticandservice

deliverychallengesassociatedwithprovidingcarefor

thegrowingnumbersofchildreninstatutoryOutof

HomeCaremeanthatpost-adoptionservices

comprisealowerorderbudgetpriority.Whilefederal

governmentsandstategovernmentsmayshowin-

principlesupportfortheneedforpost-adoptivecare,

thepoliciesandprogramsnecessarytomanifestthis

supportremainunderdeveloped.

13


Introducingaconceptualframeworkforunderstandingpost-adoptionsupportsWiththecaseforimprovedpost-adoptionsupportin

Australianowestablished,thepapernowturnstothe

compositeelementsofthesesupports.Post-adoption

supportstructuresareexplicitlyandimplicitlyshaped

byawiderangeoffactorsincluding:culturalhistory

andtradition(BenevolentSociety2013);overarching

socialandeconomicpolicies(UN2009);thelegislative

trajectoriesofnationstates(ChildONEurope2007);

trendsinresearchevidence;practitionerthinking;and

prevailingsocialnormssurroundingfamily.Todate,

researchattemptstosystematicallycontrastand

comparepostadoptioninitiativesandthecomplex

factorsunderpinningtheiremergence,hastypically

involvedlistingdifferencesintheseapproaches(Simon

2011).AsSelwyn(2014)notes,theneedtoreflect

differencesinfamilyexperienceisparamount.While

respectfullyreflectingthediversityoffamily

experienceisimportant,inordertoprogress

understanding,thispaperarguesthatanalysismust

movebeyondaninventory-basedapproachalone.

Listingtheactivitiesassociatedwithaspecificsupport

programmayactuallyservetoobscureratherthan

deepenunderstandingofthecomplexitiesassociated

withdevelopingandimplementingpostadoption

support.Thefollowingdiscussionseekstodistila

rangeofexistingperspectivesonpostadoption

supportandofferconceptualcoherencetothe

examinationofsomekeysourcesofevidence.

Thispaperarguesthattheclassificationofpost

adoptionsupportsisnotonlypossiblebutis

instructivetounderstandingsoffuturedevelopment

andadaptationofthesesupports.Thefollowing

conceptualframeworkhighlightsthatallpostadoption

supportsarestructuredaroundthreecategoriesof

activity-aid,allyoradvocacy-basedmodesofsupport.

Ineachcase,thecharacteristicsassociatedwitheach

ofthesemodelswillbehighlighted.Itmustbenoted

howeverthatthesemodelsarenotnecessarily

mutuallyexclusiveaspostadoptionsupportsystems

mayexhibitcharacteristicsofhybridservicedelivery

models.

Diagram1 ThetripleAofpost-adoptionsupportforadoptivefamilies

Whatmighteffectiveaid-basedpostadoptionsupportlooklike?

Thefollowingdiscussionsummarisesanddistils

insightsprovidedbypublishedaccountsofpost

adoptionsupportwhichseektodirectlyaidorassist

eitherindividualsorfamilysystemsviacorrectiveor

restorativeinterventions.AsAustralian-basedstudies

ofpostadoptionssupportsarerare,evaluationsof

overseasmodelswilllargelybeusedtoinformthese

discussions.

Medicalobservationofthephysicalhealthneedsofadoptivechildrenareespeciallyimportantinthepostadoptionphase,inboththeshortandlongterm

Inthepostadoptionphase,itislikelythatchildrenwill

needaccesstospecialisedsupportsbecauseof

historiesemergingfromtraumaexperiences.Asone

comparativestudyoverseasnotesofintercountry

adoptionexperiences“Evenifpercentagesvaryfrom

oneresearchstudytoanother,researchstudiesagree

thatmanyofthechildrenarrivingintheirnew

countrieshavesignificantgrowthandhealth

problems.Thecombinationofprenatalunfavourable

conditions(suchasmaternalalcoholism,malnutrition,

nopregnancyorchildbirthcare),inadequatepostnatal

14


care(suchasneglect,badnutrition,noimmunization,

poorstimulation)andexposuretoadverseconditions

(suchasinstitutionalization,leadpoisoning)giverise

todelaysandillnessesinmanyadoptees”(Bernacchi

etal2006:12).Gindis(2012)notesthatsymptomsof

institutionalautismarepresentamongstchildrenwho

haveexperiencedintercountryadoption,thoughthe

reasonsandlongtermimpactsofthisremainfarfrom

clear.

Researchstudieswhichexaminethelongerterm

healthoutcomesforchildrenwhohavebeenadopted

fromOutofHomeCareprovideaconflictedsetof

findings.Ameta-analysisofhealthstudiesassociated

forchildreninfostercarehighlightsthatsome

researchersforeseelongtermhealthrisksarisingfrom

theseexperiences(Selwynetal2014;VanAndeletal

2012;Baeretal2006),whileothershighlightthat

manyareasofambiguitysurroundtheinterpretation

ofevidence(Troutman2011;Osborn&Bromfield

2007).Thereisconsensushowever,thatadoptive

childrenwillrequireattentiveobservationoftheir

physicalneeds,becauseoftheirpastexperiences.For

thesereasons,nicheformsofmedicalpost-adoptive

supportarelikelytobeneededbyadoptiveparents

and/oradopteesatseveralpointsacrossthelife

course.

Directtalk-basedtherapiesandcounsellingaidsareconsideredcentraltomuchpost-adoptionsupport

IntheUSandtheUK,therapeuticinterventionsplaya

criticalroleinpostadoptionsupportbecauseitis

throughthesemechanismsthatadoptivefamiliesand

adopteesseektoresolveissuesofpasttrauma,

manageissuesofidentityinthecontextofnewfamily

relationships,andsolicitsupportinmanagingfeelings

andresponsestobirthfamilymembers.

Therapeuticsupportscanincludeawiderangeof

activitiesbuttypicallyexhibitaheavyemphasison

counsellingfor:parents;adoptivechildren;other

familymembers(particularlynon-adoptivechildren)

(BenevolentSociety2013).Groupcounselling(family,

parent,andadoptee-focused)areallpresentina

rangeofadoptionsupportprogramsintheUS,theUK

andAustralia.PreliminarydatainAustraliaidentifies

thatadoptiveparentsdesireimprovedaccesstothese

services.Asurveyofadoptiveparentsadministered

bytheBenevolentSocietyfoundthatbothlocaland

inter-countryadoptivefamiliesoverwhelminglywant

betteraccesstothesekindsofsupports(Benevolent

Society2013).

Whiletheprovisionofcounsellingservicesisasserted

tobeacriticallyimportantaidforadoptivefamilies,it

isimportanttonotethateveninsystemswherethere

issignificantstatefundingassociatedwithservice

provision,identifiedchallengestoservicedelivery

persist.Pennington(2012)notesthatdirect

therapeuticsupportsarealmostuniversallyseenas

beneficialforfamilies,buttherearedrawbacksto

servicedeliverybecauseofcost.Thelackof

counsellingprofessionalswhohavespecializedinsight

onadoptionisalsocitedtobeanobstacletothegood

provisionoftheseservices(Selwynetal2014).

Similarly,Greennotes“Primarily,theliterature

discussingadoptioninterventionhascomefrom

psychoanalyticalthought,anecdotalaccountsoris

characterised,apartfromafewexceptions,bypoorly

designedresearch”(2014:2).

Thispaperdoesnotseektodebatethequalityof

publicversusprivateformsoftherapeuticcounselling

interventionsandservices.However,itmustbenoted

thatinthefieldofpostadoptionservicesthereappear

tobebenefitsderivedfromgovernment-funded

modelsthroughthecreationofeconomiesofscale

andexpertise.Forexample,whileSelwyn(2014)

notesservicegapsforfamiliesintheUK,theprovision

ofgovernmentfundingforpostadoptionhas

undoubtedlyimprovedthequalityofserviceavailable

becausetraining,guidelinesforpractice,and

professionalnetworksbegintoemergeandbecome

codified.ThiscontrastswithexperienceintheUSin

which“theprovisionofpost-adoptionservicesinthe

USremainspatchy.Andtoooften,preventative

servicesarenotavailableandservicesareavailable

onlywhencumulativestrainonthefamilyhas

escalatedtothepointofcrisis”(Beauchamp2014:17).

Similarly,aChildONEuropeauditofpostadoption

supportsamongstEuropeanUnionnationshighlights

thatwhiletherapeuticsupportsareabsolutely

essentialtoadoptivefamilies,thelackofcommitment

byEUnationstatestoprovidetheseservicesremains

akeyareaofconcern.Thereis“insufficientsupport

15


bytheStatetofamiliesintermsofparentaleducation

andcounselling”(ChildONEurope2007:10),

Foradoptees,thebenefitsoftherapeuticpost-

adoptionsupportsappeartobeimmense.For

example,childandadolescentpsychotherapy,

attachmentformingthera-play,selfesteemtherapy

andresilience-focusedcounselling,haveallbeen

notedastherapeuticsupportswhichhaveeffective

outcomesforadoptivechildrenwhenthesecanbe

accessed(Pennington2012;Giligan2009;Kenricketal

2006;Hushionetal2006;Egbert2003).Whilea

detailedinventoryofspecifictherapeutictechniquesis

beyondthescopeofthispaper,itisimportanttonote

thatagrowingbankoftherapeuticapproaches

continuestogrowanddevelop,usingavarietyof

multi-disciplinarytheoreticalframes(Kenricketal

2006).

‘Pointofcontact’modelsareoneofthemostcommonformsofservicedeliveryfordispensingdirectpostadoptionassistance

Pointofcontactmodels,sometimesreferredtoas

gatewaymodels,arepresentintheUKandinsome

USstates.Underthismodelofpostadoptionsupport,

directassistancetofamiliesisofferedviaakey

adoptionliaisonofficeroralocalspecializedunit

(Pennington2012).Someevaluationsnamegateway

modelsasbestpracticeserviceprovisioninpost

adoptionsupportbecausetheyseektooffera

consistentadvisor(pointofcontact)forthefamily

whoworksinconcertwithotherprofessionalstoalign

servicestomatchtheneedsoffamilies

(First4Adoption2015;NACAC2010;Jones2008).

Avarietyofdifferentgovernancestructurescanbe

usedtooverseegatewaymodels,andasitstands

thereisnodefinitiveevidencesuggestingthatone

modelissuperiortoanother.InUtahforexample,

adedicated‘gateway’officerisappointedinevery

DepartmentofChildrenandFamilyServicesregion

inthestatetorespondspecificallytotheneedsof

adoptivefamilies(Jones2008).Thiscontrastswith

thegatewaymodelusedacrossintheUK,inwhich

specificlocaladoptionauthoritiesoperateasfairly

autonomousunitsandmaintainlocaldiscretionover

howtotriageadoptivefamiliesforsupport.Inthe

UK,therearealsolocallyadministeredadoption

allowances.

Informalaidisimpactfulforfamiliestodevelopasenseofsolidarity,remainconnectedandtomaintainasenseofautonomyanddiscretionovertheassistancetheyaccess

Forthepurposesofthisanalysis,theterm‘informal’is

usedtodescribeinitiativeswhichlieoutsidethe

protocolsusuallyassociatedwithscheduledpscho-

therapeutictreatmentprogramsandappointments.

Informalpost-adoptionsupportisnotbasedonthe

progressivetrackingoftherapeuticmilestones,

instead,itfocusesontheprovisionofsupportswhich

arehighlyflexibletotheindividualneedsofadoptive

families.

Holmes(2013)notesthatadoptiveparentand/orpeer

supportgroupsformacriticallyimportantroleinthe

provisionofinformalpostadoptionassistance.Where

theseprogramshavebeenevaluated,peersupport

programsandserviceshaveshownalevelofsuccess

fortworeasons.Participationinsupportgroupscan

reducethesenseofisolationthatsomeadoptive

parentsandadoptivechildrenfeel.Inaddition

improvedknowledgeofservicesgained,andthesense

ofcollectivesolidarityfeltinsupportgroupscanalso

culminateinparentsandadopteesseekinghelp

sooner(proactively),beforeacrisispointisreached

withinafamily(Beauchamp2014).Cravens(2016)

notesthatpeersupportgroupsforadoptivefamilies

andadoptivechildrencanhelptocreategroupnorms

aroundadoption,becauseparentscancounsel,share

fears,supporteachotherandbuildtrustinasafe

environment.

Therapeuticparentinggroupsofthekindprovided

byPostAdoptionSupportQueensland(PASQ)

(BenevolentSociety)alsohavetheadvantagesthat

comewithorganicformation.Forexample,the

experienceofPASQdemonstratesthatonceanetwork

isestablished,thefocusofoperationscanbegradually

expandedtotargetissuesofrelevanceinkeepingwith

thechangingneedsofadoptivefamilies.PASQhas

longheldastrongfocusonadoptionsupportsfor

adopteesaffectedbytheclosedadoptionera.More

recently,andduetopublicdemand,thePASQhas

builtacommunityofparentsandyoungpeoplewith

intercountryadoptionexperiencesinthesouth-east

Queenslandregionsothattherelevanceofpost

adoptionsupportstothesefamiliesmightbe

strengthened.

16


Directassistanceprogramswhichcloselytargetlocalneedareessential

Localsocio-demographiccharacteristics,thelocation

andgeo-spatialcharacteristicsofresidentialareas,

andthefeaturesandqualityofkeylocalservices

(egschools,healthcareandcommunityorganisations)

canalldeeplyimpactthequalityoflifeforadoptive

families.Forthisreason,researchonpostadoption

supportshighlightsthatgrassrootsbasedadoption

supportsarebestabletounderstandandrespondto

localfamilyneeds.Incountrieswithheavilydispersed

populationslikeAustraliaandtheUS,researchers

arguethatlocalsupportagenciesarebestableto

understandthehealthandbroaderhumanservice

infrastructurewithinanareaandharnessthis

effectively(Beauchamp2014).AstheBenevolent

Society(2013)notes,adoptionsupportservicesmust

alwaysbedevelopedmindfuloftheneedsoffamilies

atthelocallevel.

Effectiveformsofpostadoptionassistancearethosewhichare‘journeyaware’

Whilethereisnolongitudinaldataavailableonthe

impactsofspecificpostadoptionprogramsoflong

standing,commentatorsandexpertsinthefield

advocatestronglyforpostadoptionsupportswhich

havebothshortandlongtermfocus(Cravens2016;

BenevolentSociety2013;Pennington2012).Inother

words,effectivepostadoptivesupportsarethose

capableofrenderingaidtoanadopteeorfamily

member(potentially)longafteranadoption

experiencehasoccurred.AsNACAC(2010)notesinits

evaluationofpostadoptionsupportsintheUS,

assistancemustbeavailabletofamiliesatmultiple

pointsalongthefamilytimeline.Similarly,

observationsbyJones(2008)concur“child’sneeds

andtheparents’needsmayhavetobeaddressedin

differentwaysatdifferentpointsintime”.

Bibliotherapyaids

Theterm‘bibliotherapy’isusedbyanumberof

practitionerstodescribetheself-helpresourceswhich

canbeprovidedtoadoptivefamiliesandadopteesby

postadoptionsupportservices(Green2014).The

provisionofresourcesintheformofinformation

sheets,readingmaterial,toolkitsandtheoretical

evidenceinadigestibleform(PASQBenevolent

Society2013)canalsoaidfamiliesbyequippingthem

withanenduringsetofskillstorespondtochildrenas

issuesarise.Theseaidsarehighlyadaptablebecause

theycanbedevelopedtobeageappropriateincluding

everythingfromchildren’sbooksthroughtomore

sophisticatedsupporttextsforadults(Kavanaugh&

Fiorini2009).

Thisfieldofpostadoptionsupportissignificantto

families,andrequiresproperfunding(includingskilled

staff)inordertobeeffective.Theproductionand/or

distributionofqualitybibliotherapyaidsinvolves

distillingandconsolidatingrelevanttheoretical

thinkingwithprevailingadviceandguidancewitha

viewtosupplyingparents,childrenandyoungpeople

withknowledge,skillsandpracticaltools.

Attachment,grief,trauma,childhoodgrowthand

maturation,emotionaldevelopmentandattachment

shouldformfoundationconceptsandbeusedto

underpinthedevelopmentofresources(Kavanaugh&

Fiorini2009).Thisinformationalsoequipsparentsto

bebetterinformedandtobuildcapacityforadvocacy

amongstparentsasstakeholderstolobbyandagitate

fortheservicestheyneeddownthetrack.Inone

studyofadoptionauthoritiesintheUK,theseagencies

wereidentifiedwiththepotentialtogeneratevery

appliedanddetailedhighqualitybibliotherapyaidsfor

families(intheformofsamplelifestorybooksand

laterlifeletters)however,theauthoritiesfailedto

deliverandsharetheseresourceseffectively(Selwyn

etal2014).

AsGreen(2012)notes,‘bibliotherapy’istypicallyused

asanadjuncttoconventionaltherapy,wherethereis

somelevelofliteracyaroundpostadoptioncareinthe

therapeuticcommunity.Inthosejurisdictionswhere

thereisnotawellestablishednetworkofpost

adoptionsupportprovidershowever,bibliotherapy

canrepresentapowerfulandeffectiveresourcewhich

adoptivefamiliescanhave‘athand’and‘inthehome’

tohelpnavigatesituationsastheyarise.

17


Whatroledoadvocate-basedformsofpostadoptionsupportplay?Effectivepostadoptionsupportincludesacategoryof

activitieswhichdonotinvolvedispensationofdirect

assistancetoadoptivefamilies,butinsteadindirectly

supportadoptivefamiliesthrougharangeof

awarenessraisingandadvocacyactivities.

Researchfindingsandkeyexpertsinthefieldhighlight

thatadvocacy-drivenstructuresarecriticaltothe

successfuldeliveryofpostadoptionsupportsfor

adoptivefamiliesforthereasonsoutlinedbelow.

Advocacy-basedsupportsareimportantbecausetheyseektochangetheprofileofservicesavailabletofamilies

Advocacy-basedpostadoptionsupportstypically

emergefromarecognitionthatmainstreamservices

arenotsufficientlyresponsivetotheneedsof

adoptivefamilies.Beauchampnotes“Previously,it

wasassumedthatmainstreamcommunityservices

couldmeettheneedsofadoptivefamilies.However,

asadoptiveparentswereunsuccessfulinfinding

effectivehelpfortheirchildrentheneedfor

specialisedservicesbecameapparent”(2014:5).In

Australia,advocacy-basedsupportsaretypically

providedbyagenciesinthenotforprofitsectorwho

actasagentsofchangetofacilitatetheproduction

and/orsourcingofnicheservicesandsupports.

Advocacy-basedsupportshelptobuildsystemcapacityinwaysthatareresponsivetochangingpatternsofadoptivecare

Advocatesareimportantbecausetheyworkasagents

ofchangetoremovesocial,cultural,attitudinaland

logisticalbarriersforadoptivefamiliesinaccessing

assistance,andhelptoanticipateemergingareasof

supportneed.Advocacy-basedformsofadoption

supportalsohelptobuildaskilledandsufficiently

diverselabourforceofworkerscapableofdealing

withtheneedsofdiversefamilies(NACAC2010).In

theUSforexample,advocacymodelsofadoption

supporthavedevelopedhighlyeffectivepartnerships

withLGBTorganisationsinordertodeepen

understandingofadoptionissueswithinacommunity,

andtoprovidepositiverepresentationsofLGBT

parentsofadoptivechildren(Brodzinsky2011).In

Australia,advocacy-basedsupportshavebegunto

morestronglyalignaroundtheneedsofinter-country

adoptionfamilies(BenevolentSociety2013).AsGreen

notes,advocacysupportshelptobridgethegap

betweenrigidityinpracticeguidelinesandemerging

issuesinadoptivecare.“Professionalserviceshave

mirroredsilenceandsecrecy.Thereisalackoftraining

abouttheimpactofadoptioninuniversitycurriculums

andinprofessionaldevelopment.Furthermore,there

isadearthofclinicalliteraturedocumentingmodelsof

appropriateinterventionusingcasestudies”(2014:4).

Advocacy-focusedsupportscanseektoconsolidate

evidencebasedpracticeinwayswhichareresponsive

totheneedsofthecommunitiesinwhichadoptive

familieslive.TheworkofAdoptChangeintheareaof

trainingandsupportcurriculumsforschoolsrepresent

anexampleofthistypeofsupport.

Advocatescanhelptoamelioratedirectbarrierstopostadoptionsupport

IntheUS,adoptionadvocacyorganisationshave

workedeffectivelyonbehalfofadoptiveparentsin

verydirectways.ForexampleinthestateofUtah,

adoptionadvocatesliaisewithhealthagenciesto

accessdataandinformation(egmedicalrecordswhich

giveafullerpictureofanadoptivechild’shistory)and

consolidatethisinformationforadoptivefamiliesto

acceleratetheiraccesstopostadoptivesupport

services.

Researchfindingsalsonotethattheroleofthe

intermediaryplayedbysomeadvocacyorganisations

ishighlyvaluedbytheadoptivefamily.AsSelwynetal

(2014)notes,adoptiveparentsandchildrenwhohave

hadcontactwithstatutoryOutofHomeCarewantto

‘normalise’bydistancingthemselvesfromthe

impersonalbureaucraticstructurestheyassociatewith

childprotection.Researchfindingshighlightthatmany

adoptivefamiliesfindthatre-engagementwithsocial

andcommunitypresentsparticularlychallenging

emotionalterrainforfamiliesforarangeofreasons.

Theyfeartheywillbeperceivedasfailuresandthey

fearthattheirchildrenwillbe‘taken’awaybecause

theymightbeperceivedasbadparents(Brabender&

Fallon2013;Malhomes&King2012).Advocatesand

agenciescanruninterferencewithgovernment

departmentswithwhomfamiliesmayhavehad

negativeexperiences.

IntheUKadoptionauthoritieshaveassumedastrong

advocacy(inadditiontoadirectassistance)role.

Adoptionauthoritieshaveworkedtoprovidemore

nuanceddistinctionsbetweenfamilyversustrauma

therapy(akintotheGPversusERfunctionsofthe

18


healthsystem),andtherebyhelpadoptivefamilies

delineatethespecificservicetheymightneedto

access.Holmes(2013)notesthatthisdistinction

hasbeenempoweringforadoptivefamiliesby

demystifyingthetherapeuticsupportsystemin

theUK.

Whatroledoadoptionalliesplayintheprovisionofpostadoptionsupport?Awiderangeofresearchfindingsandpractice

highlighttheneedforthebroaderhumanservices

systemtobepopulatedwithkeyprofessionalswho

exhibitsophisticatedlevelsofadoptionawareness,

knowledgeofthelegalandpracticeterrainof

adoption,andareadinesstoadapttothechanging

needsofadoptivefamilies.

Thenotionofanallyisdifferenttothetraditional

notionofanambassadororachampionforacause.

Ambassadorsmayworkinthecollectiveinterestsof

anissueorgroupofstakeholders.Incontrast,‘allies’

haveamuchmoredirectandappliedroleandcan

workcloselyinhigh-trustrelationshipswithfamiliesto

createanddelivermeaningfulsupportsofrelevanceto

them.

Allieshelpadoptivefamilies(eitherparentsorchildren)tomakesenseoftheirexperiencebylookingmoreholisticallyatthefamilyecosystem,andtherangeofinstitutionalsupportsavailablebeforemakingareferralorprovidingdirectsupport.Theterm‘allies’canbeusedtodescribethose

professionalswhohaveunderstandingsofadoptive

processandtheassociatedidentityconcernsraisedby

anadoptiveexperience,andcanworkinconcertwith

otherprofessionalstoalignsupportservicesfor

familiesasneeded.Unlikeadoptionadvocates,who

mayactasintermediariesforfamilies,alliesare

adoption-savvyprofessionalswhounderstandthe

needsofadoptiveparentsandhelptostrengthenthe

effectivenessofthesupportsinplaceforfamiliesin

thelongterm(Brabender&Fallon2013).

Adoption-awarealliescanhelpfamiliesinvery

impactfulwaysbecausetheseprofessionscanlook

beyondthereasonswhyaparentmayinitiallypresent

forhelpandlookholisticallyatwaystosupportthe

entirefamilymorefullyintheadoptivejourney

(Peterson2012).Allieswhoworkcloselywiththe

familyhelptofacilitate,referandestablishthesekinds

ofconnectionsforfamilies,withanemphasisonthe

provisionofcontinuityandresponsivecarebeing

primaryconsiderations(Jones2008).Passmore(2007)

notesthatunlessfrontlineworkers(egdoctorsand

teachers)areversedinadoption,thereisariskthat

everychallengewillbecharacterisedasanadoption-

relatedone,andconversely,behaviouralorlearning

difficultiesmaybemisdiagnosedbecausethe

connectiontoanearlytraumaorattachment

experienceisoverlooked.

Selwynetal(2014)notesthatadoptionalliescanplay

apowerfulroleinaddressingsupportbarriersfor

adoptivefamilies.Firstly,professionaladoptionallies

canhelpto‘chaseup’gapsininformationandthe

biographyofanadoptivechild.Secondly,theseallies,

becauseoftheirbroadtheoreticalandpractical

knowledgeoftrauma,identityandattachment

concernscanalsohelptointerpretand“understand

thesignificance”oftheinformationoncelocated

(Selwynetal2014).Anallycanhelptoachievegood

contactbetweenrelevantagencies,andinsodoing,

reducetheburdenontheadoptivefamilytoalign

thesesupports.Jones(2008)notesthatwhengeneral

practitionersareabletoaccessdetailedbackground

medicalandfamilyhistory(includingchildprotection

information)priortoamedicalexamination,adeeper

levelofunderstandingoftheadoptivechildresults.

Anadoption-savvyGPforexamplewillknowthey

needtodrawfromarangeofinformationsourceson

psycho-social,physicalandemotionaldevelopmentin

ordertomakeamoreholisticandthereforeeffective

assessmentofanadoptivechild’sneeds.

Adoption‘allies’areneededinawiderangeoffrontlinehumanservicesincludinghealth,disabilitysupportservices,educationandpolice

Researchfindingsandabodyofevaluativeevidence

fromadoptionsupportprogramsoverseaspointsto

theneedforadoptionalliesandaliftedlevelof

adoptioncompetencyacrossawiderangeofhuman

services.

Firstly,adoptivefamiliesneedprofessionalallies

outsidecommunityservicearenas,becauseresearch

suggeststhattheseagenciesarethelastportofcall

foradviceorassistanceforthesefamilies.Instead,

adoptivefamiliesaremorelikelytoapproachother

professionalsatvaryingpointsacrossthehuman

servicechainincludingschools,thepolice,andprivate

mentalhealthproviders.Secondly,itisinmainstream

institutionalsettingsinwhichchallengesforadoptive

childrenaremostlikelytoariseandbeidentified.For

19


thisreason,Egbert(2003)andothersnote,thelevelof

adoptionawarenesstobothrespondand/orrefer

appropriatelyisparamount.

Betteradoptionawarenessand/orspecializedmental

healthsupportsforadoptivefamiliesandchildrenare

alsorequired.Psychologists,counsellors,psychiatrists

andcognitivebehaviouraltherapistswhoareadoption

alliesareneededbecauseknowledgeoftheimpactsof

longertermimpactsofearlytraumaandattachment

experiencescanhelptodevelopmoreresponsiveand

relevanttreatmentprogramsforpatients(Selwynetal

2014).

Flexibilitytoprovideadoption-awaresupportservices

inthefieldofdisabilitysupportservicesisidentifiedby

manyresearchersasanareaofneed.Selwynetal

(2014)notesthatautismspectrumdisorderdiagnoses

arecommonamongstadoptivechildrenintheUK,and

specializedmedicalprofessionalscapableofexploring

thesignificanceofthisconnectionisneeded.

Educationsettingsareacriticalsitefortheformative

socialisationforchildren,andareoftenplacesinwhich

challengeswillemergeasachild‘ages’throughan

adoptionexperience(BenevolentSociety2013).

Egbert(2003)notesthatapoorlevelofunderstanding

amongstteacherswillcreateadditionalhurdlesfor

adoptivefamiliesinnavigatingandmanaging

behaviouralandlearningchallengesfacedbychildren.

AsPenningtonnotes“educationinparticularisanarea

inwhichadoptiveparentsfeltthesystemwaspoorly

equippedtodealwiththeissuesfacingadoptive

children,inparticulartheissuesoftraumaand

attachmentcanaffectbothbehaviourandabilityto

learnoverthedevelopmentalcourseofachild’slife”

(2012:12).StudiesintheUK,theUSandAustralia

havegonesofarsosaythatschoolscanbeunsafe

environmentsforchildrenwithadoptionand/orOOHC

experiencesbecausetheycanbecometargetsfor

bullyingbypeers(NSWCCYP&ChildGuardian2012;

Rao&Simkiss2007).TheAdoptionInstitute(2007)

identifiesthatteachersandstudentsgenerallyexhibit

highdegreesofinsensitivitytowardandlowlevelsof

awarenessaboutadoptionissues.TheInternational

AdoptionProjectdocumentsthatadoptivechildren

reportexperiencesofbullying,whenclassmatesand

peersareillinformedaboutadoptionexperiences(IAP

2013).TheworkoftheAdoptionInstitute(2007)also

highlightsthatnegativecurriculumbasedexperiences

canpresentintheclassroomforadoptivechildren.

Thecontinuinginclusionofcurriculumtasksand

homeworkactivitieswhichrequirestudentsto

reminisceaboutearlychildhood,recountfamily

historyresearchand/ormemorialisefatherormother

roles(egmakingamother’sdaycard)havethe

potentialtocauseimmensedistressforchildrenwith

priortraumaexperiences.

Communitiesofalliesforadoptivefamiliescanbebuiltthroughtrainingandeducation,butaccreditedformsoftraininginthisfieldareunderdeveloped

IntheUS,adoptionsupportagenciesadvocate

stronglyforprofessionalstoparticipateinaccredited

adoption-competenttraining(NACAC2010).

However,thereisfarfromclinicalnorfrontlineworker

consensusoverwhatthistrainingshouldcomprise.In

Australia,theformationofadoptionsupporttraining

hasbeendeeplyshapedbythehistoryofforced

adoptionandwhethertransferabilityofthisskillsetto

openadoptionenvironmentsispossibleisfarfrom

clear(BenevolentSociety2013).Inaddition,the

growinginfluenceofNGOsasdelegated/authorized

adoptionagenciesmeanthatindividualorganisations

arelikelytodeveloptheirownin-houseadoption

supporttrainingwhichiscustomizedtomeetniche

clientandfamilyneed.Thismaycreatechallengesfor

thesector,asNGOsmaybeunwillingtosharetraining

andskilldevelopmentandconsolidateprofessional

practiceinthedevelopmentofpost-adoption

supports.

Examplesofally-basedmodelsofpostadoption

supportarepresentintheUS,andevaluationsof

theseschemessuggestthatpracticecanbeshared

aroundtheseactivities.Theadoptionexchangemodel

operatinginMissouriforexample,usesamulti-agency

approachbytrainingprofessionalsacrossarangeof

humanserviceagenciesinanadoptionspecific

curriculum(NRCDR2009).Oncetrained,these

professionalsreturntotheirworkplacestoliftthe

levelofawarenessofadoption-specificneedsacross

theirownagenciesandtoworkasbetteralliesfor

adoptivefamilieswhoapproachtheirorganisationsfor

help.

20


Paediatricians,generalmedicalpractitioners,nurses

andpoliceareallfrontlineserviceroleswhichhave

beenidentifiedasneedinganetworkofadoption

alliesbecausesensitivitytopost-traumaissues

amongstchildrenandyoungpeopleisdeemedtobe

low.IntheUSthereareindicationsthatanumberof

professionalfieldsarebeginningtoembracetraining

andprofessionaldevelopmentprogramswhich

consolidatepracticeinareasoftraumacare.In2016,

forthefirsttime,theAmericanAcademyof

paediatricshasformallyacknowledgedthattheneed

toassesstraumashouldbepartofassessment

protocolsforchildren.TheAcademyisscheduledto

releaseitssetofprofessionalguidelinesforpractice

dealingwithtraumaassessmentandchildrenthis

year.

Teachershavebeenidentifiedaskeyprofessioninthe

creationofadoptionallies.Twoclearreasonscanbe

identifiedforliftingthelevelofadoptionawareness

amongsttheseworkers.Firstly,interactionsand

engagementsbetweenchildrenandteachersimpact

thepsycho-socialandintellectualdevelopmentof

childreninpowerfulways,andteacherscanmake

betterinformeddecisionsaboutstudentsandstudent

behaviourwhenthereisawarenessoftraumaandits

impactsonchildhooddevelopment.Secondly,thereis

agrowingbodyofevidencetosuggestthatthereare

poorlevelsofadoptionawarenessamongstteachers.

Pennington(2012),drawingonarangeofstudies,

assertsthat“adoptedchildrenachievelower

educationaloutcomesthantheirpeers”.Formal

trainingofteachers,unlessitisearlychildhood

educationandcare,doesnottypicallyincorporate

contentonchildhooddevelopmentandattachment

theory.Jones(2008)notesthatadoptivefamiliesoften

facethechallengeofhavingtoeducateaschooland

teachersthatwhenchildrenexhibit‘badbehaviour’at

school,thismaybeduetoattachmenttrauma.

Traditionalteachingpedagogiesdefineattachment

concernstofallwithinthepurviewoffamily(as

custodiansoftheprimarycarefunction)andtherefore

areconsideredmatterswhichliebeyondthe

professionaldominionofteachersasprofessionals.

Adoption-allieswouldarguethatthislackof

knowledgeconstrainstheabilityofteachersto

adequatelyrespondtothebehaviouraldifficultiesand

developmentalchallengesthatchildren-survivorsof

traumamaymanifestinaschoolsetting.

Anetworkofadoptionalliescanhelptostrengthensupportsforadoptivefamiliesinthelongtermbyreducingthesocialstigmasurroundingadoptionexperiences

Stigmahasbeenidentifiedasabarrierformany

adoptivefamiliesinseekingandreceivingsupport.

Liftedlevelsofadoption-awarenessacrosskeyareasof

frontlineserviceprovisionwouldassisttoreducethis

barrier.Parentsbelievethatraisingconcernsaboutan

adoptivechildorabouttheadoptivefamilymeantheir

capacitytoparentwillbequestioned(Benevolent

Society2013).IntheUK,otherresearchfindings

concur“Parentswerefrustratedbyprofessionalswho

didnottreatthemasreliableandcredibleinformants.

Parentswantedaservicedeliveredbyprofessionals

whounderstoodthecomplexandoverlapping

difficultiesshownbyadoptedchildren”(Selwynetal

2014:228). ResearchfromtheUKhighlightsthatwhileawell

establishedandcrediblerangeofgovernmentfunded

localadoptionauthorityagenciesexists,manyfamilies

(forarangeofpracticalreasons)stillaccessadoption

supportsthrougharangeofbureaucraticand

administrative‘doorways’.Penn’sstudy(2012)found

thatwhilejustoverhalfofadoptivefamiliesaccess

postadoptionsupportfromtheirlocalauthority

adoptionagency,othermainstreamserviceswere

alsoidentifiedbyfamiliestobesignificantproviders

ofadoptionsupport.Thisstrengthenstheneedfor

goodlevelsofadoptioncompetencetobepresent

atmultiplepointsalongthehumanservicedelivery

chain.

21


Conclusion

Thispaperhighlightsthatnewandmeaningfulinsightsonpost-adoptionsupportcanbebroughttobearand

usedtoinformfuturedesignofthesesupportsinAustralia.Whileempiricalevidenceonthelevelofspecific

demandforpost-adoptionsupportmaynotcurrentlybeavailable,carefulcontextualexaminationofadoption

experiencesyieldsmanypowerfulinsights.Bylookingmorecloselyatthesharedelementswhichdefine

adoptionexperiences,andtheknownempiricalevidenceregardingtheseexperiences,apotentandstrongsetof

argumentsforimprovedpost-adoptionsupportemerge.

Analysisofthepost-adoptionsupportterrainoverseassuggeststhata‘tripleA’approachisnecessaryifadoptive

familiesaretobeproperlysupportedinthelongterm.Whiletherapeuticsupports(aids)areimportantin

renderingdirectassistancetoadoptivefamilies,arangeofothersupportprovisionsarealsoneededinorderto

reducestigmaandtostrengthenthelevelofawarenessofthechallengesexperiencedbyadoptivefamilies.For

thesereasons,supportmeasureswhichimproveadvocacyforthesefamiliesandthecreationofadoptionallies

acrossthehumanservicesdeliverychainarealsorequired.

22


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TellUsRegardingtheBenefitsofAdoptionPreservationServices

AdoptionQuarterly8:1-23.

[email protected]/FACEBOOK: @ADOPTCHANGEAUPOSTAL ADDRESS: PO BOX 792, SURRY HILLS, NSW 2010

ADOPT CHANGE LIMITED ABN: 28 133 921 614ADOPT CHANGE IS A REGISTERED AUSTRALIAN CHARITY.

post-adoption support for adoptive families … · post-adoption support for adoptive families in...

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