Impact Of Parenting Skills Development On Succesful Adoption Of Hardly-Adoptable Children

Abstract

Adoption is the best solution to provide a permanent family to the child for whom an adequate environment cannot be found in his or her biological family and for which such a solution responds to the needs identified during the assessment process by the professionals in the field. As a result of efforts to reform the child protection system after 1997, the number of children protected in residential services, public and private placement centres continued to decline during the period 2008-2013, from 25,114 in December 2007 to 22,124 in September 2013. The present study aims to identify the profile of parents opened for an adoption of a disabled child and also to implement a program of developing parental skills in order to facilitate the integration of the child into the family. The research carried out in February-May 2018 used several methods: interviews (N=18) and focus-groups (N=20) with adoptive families and an analysis of a national sample of Romanian adoptive families from Arges county (official data offered General Direction of Social Assistance and Child Protection Argeş (DGASPC Argeş). The findings show a slight interest in diversifying the preferences of families in adopting also a child to children with disabilities. That interest is a result of an intensive and supporting program of development of parental skills as a child with disability needs a special and personalized approach.

Keywords: Parenting skillsadoptiondisabilityadoptive families

Introduction

In recent decades, there have been several changes to Romanian adoption law and practice, but still more has to be done to stimulate adoption of hardly adopted children, those with disabilities and other special needs. The willingness and the ability to adopt these “hard to place” children are still well below the level required. This imbalance urges national authorities to take some actions for identifying obstacles and programs to overcome them. The adoption is an interesting sociological phenomena and it stimulate debates around some key concepts like family, humanity. The demand for children to adopt is increasing due to delayed childbearing, increased infertility, and an increasing acceptance of adoption as a way to build a family (Boatright, Wilson, Kahn, & Weiner, 2015). But we have to take into account other factors that can contribute to the stagnation of adoption: effective birth control leading to a decrease in the number of unplanned pregnancies, the provision of income support for single parents and changed community attitudes to single parenthood, resulting in an alternative to adoption (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004), decrease of birth rate. Hence, the numbers of adoptions have fluctuated in the past decade. Muntean et al (as cited in Buzducea, 2011) identifies five motivations for adoption: a "social profit" for the old age, infertility, financial benefits; when the child is of a family member or a relative, for compassion and love for children. Several laws were adopted to reform the child protection system after 1997 in Romania, in result the number of children protected in residential services, public and private placement centres continued to decline during the period 2008-2013 from 25,114 in December 2007 to 22,124 in September 2013 (on the base of a report provided by General Direction of Social Assistance and Child Protection Arges, DGASPC Arges). Although there is an increased number of children finding their new families, a certain number of children still struggle for being adopted, it is the case of children with disabilities. Even though some children may be categorized as hardly adopted, either because of the challenging they raise once they join the family (complex care needs, for children with disabilities; more difficult bonding for older children), they all have the need and the desire to belong to a family and they also can offer so many special moments for the parents. Adopting a child is about offering a chance of a family to a child, a safe environment, emotional and physical security, affection;

Problem Statement

Research Questions

This paper reports interviews conducted with twenty families and their children and young people adopted from Arges county, declared final and irreversible have been analysed; they dated between January 2016 and July 2018 and were closed under the law 233/2011. Our study explored their experiences and views on the bonding and parenthood and the attitude towards adopting children with special needs.

Purpose of the Study

The aim of the present study is to explore and build understanding on how parents can change the attitudes towards adopting a “special child”. We envisage to explore the question of how to increase the number of adoption of children with disabilities.

Research Methods

To achieve the proposed research objectives, the study was based on analysis of written social documents provided by DGASPCs from Arges county and a questionnaire investigation. A number of 20 cases of adoption declared final and irreversible have been analysed. Our research was mainly based on qualitative analysis of the data, but we summarised some patterns by using also quantitative techniques. Research methodology was designed starting from the interpretative paradigm with implementing descriptive and association techniques, in order to identify and tackle the motivation and reasons behind the adoption process. We designed and conducted our research on that objective. The used instrument was a questionnaire consisting on 18 closed questions, and 2 opened questions, parents and children, adoption process, in general, about their motivation and resources.

Findings

As a result of efforts to reform the child protection system after 1997, the number of children in residential services, public or private placement continued to decline during 2008-2013 years, although the decrease is less pronounced in late years, from 25114 children in 2007 to 22124 children in 2013 and 18197 children in 2017. In Romania, more than 18000 children are waiting for permanent homes. (Figure 01 ).

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The evolution of adoption cases (provided by DGASPC Arges) for a period of 8-year (2011-2018) are presented in the table 01 below. The number of initiated adoption action increased in 2018 also, due to our counselling activities organized within DGASPC Arges, Adoption Office.

Even though the number of children decreased, still actions need to be done in order to find a family for all children. Most children in the residential protection system are 14 to 17 years old, followed by 10 to 13 year olds and have a disability (sensorial, intellectual, physical). According to the data collected and analysed, the profile of the adopted child doesn’t fit with the profile of adopted children (2011) following the medium age of the child desired to be adopted is 41.7 months, and they should be clinically healthy (91%). Taking into account those data we implemented a counselling program to improve parenting skills and develop a positive attitude towards adopting children with special needs. In the initial phase it was a resistance towards adopting “special children”. Following implementation of the counselling program the attitude changed. To identify and understand the factors that motivated families to adopt we used a qualitative approach, including focus-groups with: single people and adoptive families from Arges country. The most powerful factor influencing acceptance was the interaction of the future family with the adopted child with disability (23%). A positive relation with the mother (i.e. affection, respect, trust and willingness to communicate) has a positive impact on the child behaviour and thus on the success of the adoption process. Although, challenging behaviours of children can have negative influence on the adoption process. With appropriate counselling session with focus on parenting skills development, the percentage of families accepting to consider adopting a disabled child increased (13%). Also, the increased number can be explained by the state support offered in helping the family to take care of the child (compensation, support services). Although, findings show that the decisive point in taking the decision to adopt a “special child” is the humanitarian motivation, to help a child in need and to give love and affection for a child that need it the most. The research results show that parents who adopt children with special needs will need to follow a parenting training in order to find the emotional, physical, mental, and financial resources to be a successful parent. During our research all 20 families that decided to adopt a child with disabilities made a self-assessment before taking a decision and also followed the parenting program that included meetings and inputs from doctors and other health professionals, educators, psychologists, social workers. We tried to identify the profile of parents willing to adopt “special children” and the correlations were significant between age and studies, but no correlation were found between gender, or environment (rural, urban areas). According to our data, couples aged 36-40 years old, with higher education studies are more opened to adopt children with special needs. But those results cannot be generalized as the research group was a small one. During observations and interviews held with parents our findings shows that young parents are more likely to consider adopting mainly children with minor and nonvisible disabilities like a child with a hearing loss, a child with mild specific learning disabilities like dyslexia. There is still a resistance towards adopting children with challenging behaviours and from autism spectrum disorders. Our research states that a successful adoption depends on the quality of the relationship with the social worker managing the case and his abilities to detect parenting skills and socio-emotional resources of the prospective adoptive parents. From our research group 60 % said that the positive experience with their social worker and counselling program had a big impact on taking the decision to adopt a child with disabilities. Social workers have an important role and are needed to conduct the trainings and home studies. However, as we learned during our focus groups, miscommunication or mishandling had seriously affected the way parents can the creation of a “special family”. Adoption has to focus on children and parents needs and interests. However, after the counselling program, adoption from the perspective of a disabled child, which is given a chance to a family unit, became a positive, favourable measure.

Conclusion

Adoption is the best solution to provide a permanent and caring family to the child from residential centres. The study showed that developing parental skills and a good counselling program can empower future parents with necessary resources: emotional, psychological, financial to adopt a hardly-adopted child. Moreover, it’s crucial to motivate parents to engage in this type of programs, because they contribute to the development of their parenting skills and enhance the opportunity to establish a good relationship parents-children, regardless of the disability. Children with special needs are typically harder to place for adoption than other children, but our study has shown that children with special needs can be placed successfully with families who want them. Our study suggests that a good counselling program offers a positive change in adopting preferences, broadening the options. ]

References

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