Preventing Adoption Disruption

Abstract

Older child adoptions are increasingly common. Older children who are adopted were previously abused or abandoned and have typically learned a range of behavior which make family formation challenging. When adoptions of older children are successful, these children and their families receive a wide range of benefits. When adoption disruption occurs and children are returned to agencies, children and parents often experience great hardship. Adoption disruptions are relatively rare and occur in about 11% of adoptions. Risk factors that increase the likelihood of disruption and services that counter those risk factors must be understood if disruption is to be prevented. Ecologically-based services and intensive in-home adoption preservation services are needed. Adoptive families who have received these services, rather than conventional counseling, have fared well.