Experiences of children waiting to be adopted: a qualitative study

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the emotional and social experiences of 10 children, aged 6–11, residing in foster care before adoption for almost three years. Through semi-structured interviews, the study underlined the needs and expectations of these children, highlighting the necessity for a deeper reflection on the role of foster homes as nurturing and educational communities. The study emphasizes the significance of foster homes in meeting children's autonomy and affection needs, both crucial for overall development. The study reveals that fostering independence and self-determination is essential for children's growth, while emotional support and expressions of love create a warm and caring environment where children feel secure and cherished.

Keywords:

• Adoption
• child emotional needs
• foster care
• out-of-home care

Ethical standards

Declaration of conflicts of interest

Giulio D’Urso has declared no conflicts of interest.

Virginia Bruffa has declared no conflicts of interest.

Mirco Fasolo has declared no conflicts of interest.

Irene Petruccelli has declared no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and the research committee of Academy of Social and Forensic Psychology, Rome [ASFP006], and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Notes

1 For some children, there are insufficient available data and documentation, resulting in limited information regarding aspects of their personality.