Prospective adoptive parents and professionals in the adoptionprocess

Prospective adoptive parents and professionals in the adoptionprocess Pia K Eriksson Researching socialworker, Ph. D student FSKC, Swedish Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare

Outline • Experiences of beeing a researching socialworker – two projects; 2005 -2006 and 2008 -2009 – City of Helsinki and the Swedish Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare • The adoption process from a userperspective

Bakground • Social work with adoptive- and fosterfamilies • Adoption councelling: – Assessment of prospective adoptive parents – Preparation of prospective adoptive parents • Follow-up of adopted children • Post-adoption services – Support for adult adoptees and their relatives

Background • Specialized area of social work – Knowledge and practice concentrated – Not in the education – Today few domestic adoptions – Not a part of knowledge in child welfare – International adoption, the adoptiontriangle is not complete

Adoptiontriangle Adoptee Adoptiveparents Biological parents

Adoption research • Concentrated on adopted persons outcomes – Mainly problemfocused – Adjustment, attachment – Physical and mental health • Broader perspectiv, exosystem of adoptivefamily (Palacios 2006) – The professionals involved in the process

Practice research • Researcher part of the practice • Silent knowledge, experience • Make working methods and values visible, reflection • User perspective

Practice research • Research questions and need for research arises from practical work – Motivation – Constant contact with practitioners – Valuable information for practitioners – Implication of results

Practice research • Looking at the familiar – What is new here? – Conceptualise – Silent knowledge, documentation – Documentation opens up for critical reflection – Is this ”common-sense” or specific experience and knowledge?

Research methods • Qualitative study, user perspective – How do prospective adoptive parents experience the international adoption process? • 11 Narrative interviews • Adoptive parents • Persons who pursued an adoption process – ”Tell me about your adoptionprocess” – Analysis of the narratives • Experiences; feelings, knowledge, intuition or belief

The framework and roles of the adoptionprocess • A long bureaucratic process • Personal process (becoming an adoptiveparent) – Background often infertility – Normalizing adoption – Different parenthood

The framework and roles of the adoptionprocess • Process of clienthood (becoming a client) – Usually not wanted role – Loss of control • Becoming an object – Personal matters become public – ”A number”

The experiences of the prospective adoptive parents • Long, unsure and heavy path to walk • Personal and emotional matter • Professionals and their actions play an important role in the process

Experiences of the adoptionprocess • Difficult elements in the process: – Evaluation, assesment stage • Are we good enough? • This is unfair! • My life is in the hands of someone else – Waiting, state of insecurity • Unsure outcome • Unsure time-frame • Your life in the hands of someone else

Emotional roller-coaster • Feelings of – Powerlessness – Uncertainty – Frustration – Hope and disappointment – Anticipation – Joy – Happiness

The professionals in the process • Professionals – Middle-class, parenthood universal matter, emotional issues – Prospective adoptiveparents seen as ”capable”, powerful positions in society • Difficult task, predict the future, parental potential • Assesment is a process of getting to know the applicants

Dialogue • Good experiences in the process are linked to – Dialogue with professionals • Emphatic, broad-minded, reflective • Openness –enough information in all stages – Clients approach • The journey • Possibility to personal growth • Goal-oriented • Pending, ”controlling”

Outcomes of the adoptionprocess • No adoptive child – a miscarriage – in need of support • The wanted child – Always comes as a ”surprise” – Might need support

Last words • My journey has only begun! • Thank you!