Changes in Birth Father Involvement in Stepfamily Adoption in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

The majority of domestic adoption applications in the Republic of Ireland today concern the adoption of children into their stepfamilies. These adoptions are processed under the Adoption Act 1952 and the adoption severs connections with the child's non-custodial birth parent, usually the birth father. Birth fathers had no legal entitlement to inclusion in any decision about the proposed adoption of their children until the Adoption Act 1998. This Act allows for the legal notification/consultation of a birth father where his child is placed for adoption. It does not grant him the right to consent or object to the adoption. This study by Celia Loftus relates to the impact of legal change on the practice of involving birth fathers in the stepfamily adoption decisions relating to their children. It formed part of the documentary research and analysis of 269 confidential Adoption Board files on stepfamily adoptions during the years 1985, 1992 and 1999. The findings of the study are related to changing behaviour and expectations in fatherhood as evidenced in other research.