Adoption disruption occurs when a child has been placed with an adoptive family but the placement is not working and the child is moved out of the adoptive home before the finalization process. Although adoption failures happen in all types of adoptions and age groups, the majority of adoption disruptions occur with older child, special needs and adolescent adoptions.
In understanding the prevalence of adoption disruption and the reasons and factors that contribute to a failed adoption, adoptive parents become better informed and are more likely to have a successful placement.
Statistics of Adoption Disruptions
According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, studies indicate that adoption disruption occurs in 10 to 25 percent of U.S. adoptions. The variance depends on the population studied, duration of the study, geographic regions and other factors. In Canada, the number of adoption disruptions is difficult to determine as there is no tracking system of adoptive families after finalization.
Reasons Adoptive Families Give a Child Back
One of the main reasons adoptive parents begin thinking about disrupting a child’s adoption is that they believe the newly adopted child is having a negative influence on other children in the home. Other reasons adoptions fail include:
- Fear of the adoptee harming themselves, others or the property of family members
- Lack of training, support and services for the adoptive family
- Unforeseen stressful life events such as divorce or death of a family member
- The child and/or adoptive parents are not prepared for the placement
Most adoptive parents try to get the help of qualified therapists who specialize in adoption to assist both the adoptive family and adoptee in exploring strategies. However, in some cases the help to keep the adoptive family intact comes too late or is not effective, leaving adoption disruption as the last resort.
Factors Related to Adoption Disruptions
According to Turning Corners Counseling and Support, disrupted adoptions typically involve older children who have had other adoption disruptions in the past. Disruptions also tend to occur at times of major change such as changing schools or homes. Other indicators of failed adoptions include:
- Unrealistic expectations of either the adopted child or adoptive parents
- Lack of support system for the adoptive family
- Motivation of the adoptive family for adopting the child
- Inexperience of adoption agency personnel
- Inappropriate match between child and family
- Emotional or attachment issues in the adoptee that were not apparent prior to adoption
To minimize the chance of an adoption disruption happening is one of the reasons that adoptive parents are required to receive training before adopting so they are prepared for unique issues.
By understanding the factors and reasons for adoption disruptions occurring, adoptive families can avoid becoming one of the statistics of failed adoptions. For more information on failed adoptions read Surviving an Adoption Reversal and The Effects of Adoption Disruption on the Family.
References
Child Welfare Information Gateway Document. Adoption Disruption and Dissolution: Numbers and Trends. 2004.
Melina, Lois Ruskai. Raising Adopted Children. New York:Quill, 2002.
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