Starting school may be difficult for an adopted person. Questions from peers or teachers may be uncomfortable for children, and some classroom assignments may be challenging. For example, a child who joined the family when he or she was older may not have baby pictures, and the common family tree assignment may be difficult for an adopted person. Find resources in this section to help adoptive families and teachers better understand school-related adoption issues.

Adoption at School (PDF - 777 KB)
Schoettle & Singer (2016)
Center for Adoption Support and Education
Addresses the role that teachers play in helping children process adoption and ways in which parents can promote the need for open, informative communication about adoption in schools by talking to teachers and providing them with information about resources for learning more about adoption on their own.

Adoption in School: How to Prepare for Success
The Cradle (2019)
Provides tips to support parents as their adoptive children transition into new school environments.

Advocating for Your Foster or Kinship Child at School 
Creating a Family (2021)
Explains how to support your foster youth in an educational setting and why this support is important to education success.

Parenting Your Adopted School-Age Child

Series Title
Factsheets for Families
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability
View
Download (PDF - 437KB)
Order (Free)
Year Published
2021
Offers information designed to help adoptive parents understand and respond to their school-age child's developmental needs. It provides simple, practical strategies you can use to foster healthy development, including approaches for building attachment; addressing trauma, grief, and loss; talking honestly with your child about adoption; acknowledging his or her adoption history; using effective discipline; and enhancing your child's school experience. Because some adoptive families will need extra support to address their children's mental or behavioral health needs, the factsheet also discusses when and how to seek help.

School Issues for Adopted Children
Creating a Family
Assists parents in creating a supportive school environment for their adopted child, including tips for communicating with teachers and navigating the school system.

Supporting Adopted Children With Special Needs in the School Setting (PDF - 427 KB)
Riley & Singer (2018)
Center for Adoption Support and Education
Guides parents in understanding how adoption affects children in school settings and methods for partnering with schools to support their children.

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Resource for Teachers

Adoption Basics for Educators: How Adoption Impacts Children and How Educators Can Help (PDF - 236 KB)
Cywnar (2015)
Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association
Provides educators with basic information about adoption and suggestions on how educators can assist students who are adopted.

Including Adoption in Everyday Teaching: How to Teach Positive Adoption Language and Attitudes in the Classroom
Billadeau (2014)
Adoption.com
Compiles age-specific suggestions for educators seeking to make their classrooms more inclusive of adopted children.

Safe and Sound: Responding to the Experiences of Children Adopted or in Foster Care: A Guide for Teachers, Counselors, and Other Professionals Working With School-Age Children and Youth (PDF - 16,056 KB)
American Academy of Pediatrics (2019)
Provides school professionals with information and tools to help recognize and understand children who may have experienced trauma.

Safe and Sound: Responding to the Experiences of Children Adopted or in Foster Care: A Guide for Early Education and Child Care Providers (PDF - 22,549 KB)
American Academy of Pediatrics (2019)
Provides early childhood educators with the skills to help adoptive and foster families recognize and understand children who may have experienced trauma.

What Teachers Should Know About Adoption (PDF - 219 KB)
Quality Improvement Center for Adoption & Guardianship Support and Preservation (2017)
Describes emotional and behavioral issues common in adoptive children in order to support teachers in creating an adoption-sensitive classroom. 

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