Open Adoptions of Children from Foster Care in New South Wales Australia: Adoption Process and Post-Adoption Contact

Title
Open Adoptions of Children from Foster Care in New South Wales Australia: Adoption Process and Post-Adoption Contact
Publication Date
2018
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
United States of America
DOI
10.1080/10926755.2018.1448915
UNE publication id
une:23518
Abstract
In Australia, adoptions from care are infrequent and mostly conducted in New South Wales (NSW) despite being legislated in other states. This qualitative study explored the experiences of the adoption process and post-adoption contact of eight foster parents adopting children in their care through the public welfare agency in NSW. The interviews were analyzed following a structured approach, by means of thematic networks. The study revealed that adoption processes and maintenance of birth family relationships depend on a number of factors (e.g., the behavior of the professionals, adoptive and birth parents, children's reactions, policy and practice contexts). However, the adoptive parents' experience of the adoption process was largely determined by the system, and in most cases this appeared to subsequently influence post-adoption connection in the families. The findings and the adoptive parents' recommendations are likely to apply beyond specific geographical jurisdictions. In addition, the reported complexities regarding connections through open adoptions at times resemble those tensions faced by children living in other family types such as those referred to in the foster care literature. Further research on some of these commonalities may expand in some countries the debate regarding adoption as an inherently contestable practice.
Link
Citation
Adoption Quarterly, 21(2), p. 82-101
ISSN
1544-452X
1092-6755
Start page
82
End page
101

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