![]() | Adoption / Foster Care |
More Studies from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption InstituteThe Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Looks at the Rights of BirthparentsThe Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Explores Opening Adoption RecordsAdoptive Parents More Invested in Their Children than Biological Parents The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Explores Adoptive Parent PreparationFeb 29 2008 Phase I: Meeting the Mental Health and Developmental Needs of Adopted ChildrenThe Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute released it's initial phase of research which explored the preparation and education of adoptive parents, Adoptive Parent Preparation Project Phase I: Meeting the Mental Health and Developmental Needs of Adopted Children. The 18 page Policy and Practice Perspective's main recommendations included the need for more information about adoption and foster care for professionals' graduate training programs and better continuing-education, parent training before and after adoption, professions need to provide a realistic view of adoption that focuses on skills, expectations, and the needs of an adopted child, community-based mental health professionals need better training in areas related to adoption. The second phase will involve the development of curriculum modules for training parents on issues related to adoption. The first of the modules will focus on mental health issues. These should be available later in the year. The study points out difficult it is to develop healthy expectations when adoptive parents are given such little information on a child's origins. This is especially true when adopting internationally or from the foster care system where there is a higher risk of medical and/or psychological issues. One issue is the fact that there is such a wide variable in how each agency, adoption attorney, or other adoption professional prepares and educates adoptive parents. Some offer many different opportunities for pre-adoption and post-adoption training, while others offer very little. The study describes this phase of the study as a "roadmap" for the development of curricula for professions to use in educating adoptive parents. Obstacles to Adoptive Parent Preparation and EducationThe study noted some of the following obstacles.
Principal RecommendationsBased on research, consultations with adoption professionals and adoptive parents, and the trends of adoption training and education, the Adoption Institute offers the following general recommendations as groundwork for the education and support of adoptive parents.
Content Areas for Parent Preparation and EducationThe following are the areas that the report feels adoptive parents need to be educated.
The report concludes by stating, "The Adoption Institute hopes this paper will encourage professionals to become better prepared to meet the needs of their clients and set more uniform standards for preparing, education and supporting adoptive parents to meet the mental health and developmental needs of their children." More Studies from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption InstituteThe Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Looks at the Rights of BirthparentsThe Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Explores Opening Adoption RecordsAdoptive Parents More Invested in Their Children than Biological Parents Related ArticlesBirthmother Decisions - Deciding that Adoption Is for Y...Choosing Between Baby Adoption or an Older Child Adopti...International Adoption - Cross-Cultural Adoption - Do...Adoption Book Review - Post Adoption Blues - Adoption B...Preparing to Parent the Internationally Adopted Child -... |
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