Descriptive Analysis of Foster Care Adoptions in New South Wales, Australia

Title
Descriptive Analysis of Foster Care Adoptions in New South Wales, Australia
Publication Date
2017
Author(s)
del Pozo de Bolger, Andrea
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5355-3683
Email: adelpoz2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:adelpoz2
Dunstan, Debra
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0298-7393
Email: ddunstan@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:ddunstan
Kaltner, Melissa
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Routledge
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1080/0312407x.2017.1335759
UNE publication id
une:23316
Abstract
This paper describes the population of children in care in New South Wales, Australia, who were adopted by their foster families (N = 372) from 2003 to 2014. Data pertaining to 370 of these adoptees were available and obtained from administrative records accompanying adoption applications. Most of these children had been placed with their subsequent adoptive family during infancy. However, adoption orders occurred much later in their lives. According to the available information at the time of adoption, these children did not suffer the high levels of mental health problems typically identified in populations of children in foster care. Though the data do not include follow-up to determine if the contact agreed upon at the time of adoption orders translated into practice, the most frequently postadoption arrangement recorded was face-toface contact, four times a year with mother and siblings. The high levels of openness and face-to-face contact in Australian adoptions from care are a significant point of difference with other adoption models, and presents a need for research in the area.
Link
Citation
Australian Social Work, 70(4), p. 477-490
ISSN
1447-0748
0312-407X
Start page
477
End page
490

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink