Home > Postadoption Services: A Bulletin for Professionals > Who Benefits From Postadoption Services?

Postadoption Services
Bulletin for Professionals

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published:  2005

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You are in section: Table of Contents 1 - Introduction 2 - Who Benefits From Postadoption… 3 - How Can Postadoption … 4 - What Postadoptive Services… 5 - What Postadoptive Services Do S… 6 - How Are Postadoption Services… 7 - How Are Postadoption Services… 8 - Why Evaluate Postadoption s… 9 - What Are the Implications Fors… 10 - What Future Research… 11 - Conclusion 12 - References 13 - Resources

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2. Who Benefits From Postadoption Services?

While all members of the adoption triad (birth parents, adopted people, and adoptive parents) can benefit from postadoption services, this bulletin focuses on the benefits for adopted people and adoptive parents. (For information and resources on issues faced by birth parents, please refer to the Child Welfare Information Gateway factsheet The Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents.

Children and Adults Who Were Adopted. Adopted people can benefit from postadoption services provided during childhood and adulthood. For children who are adopted, early traumas, coupled with the impact of separation and loss, can create significant challenges throughout childhood and into the adult years. Even children adopted as infants (domestically or through intercountry adoption) may experience separation and loss-related issues, which may include identity concerns, questions about unknown medical histories, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem. There are a number of situations that might cause an adopted person to seek services:

• Children who suffered early abuse and neglect may benefit from various postadoption therapies to help them come to terms with their experiences and present circumstances.
  
  
• Children and adults adopted as infants may seek postadoption services when they look for information about or search for their birth relatives.
  
  
• Children and adults adopted through intercountry adoption may seek services to help them reconnect with their country of birth and/or to help in searching for their birth relatives.

Adoptive Families. Many adoptive parents also benefit from postadoption services at various points in their family life. Adoptive families are impacted by the challenges that arise as a result of their children's losses and traumas. There are a number of situations that might prompt adoptive parents to seek services:

• Parents who have adopted children from the U.S. foster care system may seek services to help in managing children's behavior, for respite, or in accessing needed treatment and support services for their children.
  
  
• Growing numbers of families who adopted infants who were prenatally exposed to some drugs or alcohol are seeking services to assist them with the children's physical, emotional, and developmental challenges (Freundlich, 2000).
  
  
• Parents of children adopted as infants may seek postadoption services to assist them in responding to their children's questions about the adoption or when the children express a wish to search for their birth parents.
  
  
• Due to the impact of early deprivation, abuse, neglect, or institutional care on children's health and development, families who adopt internationally often have the same needs for services and supports as families who adopt children with special needs in this country (Casey Family Services, 2002). These parents may seek therapy for their children or respite for themselves.

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You are in section: Table of Contents 1 - Introduction 2 - Who Benefits From Postadoption… 3 - How Can Postadoption … 4 - What Postadoptive Services… 5 - What Postadoptive Services Do S… 6 - How Are Postadoption Services… 7 - How Are Postadoption Services… 8 - Why Evaluate Postadoption s… 9 - What Are the Implications Fors… 10 - What Future Research… 11 - Conclusion 12 - References 13 - Resources

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This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

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Updated on October 9, 2009