An in-depth analysis of domestically adopted children with special needs and their biological mothers

Abstract

• Summary: In 2001, federal research funding (#90-CO-0960) was awarded to conduct an in-depth study of one agency’s experience with domestic special needs adoption placements (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). This private Ohio agency has been involved in the placement of special needs children since the beginning of the US special needs adoption movement in 1976. A rigorous and comprehensive chart review was conducted profiling 362 consecutively referred special needs adoption cases from 1997 to 2005, providing one of the most accurate and in-depth profiles of both special needs adoption children and their biological mothers to date.

• Findings: In summing the major child and biological mother risk factors reported in this study (i.e. child neglect + child physical abuse + child sexual abuse + child prenatal drug exposure + child positive toxicology screen at birth + maternal mental illness + maternal substance abuse + maternal homelessness + maternal history of domestic violence + parental incarceration + and death of a significant person), youth averaged 4.7 (SD = 1.61) cumulative risk factors, not including poverty, multiple placement disruptions, and other undocumented risk factors.

• Applications: Accurate and comprehensive profiling of child and biological parent characteristics are required to inform the service needs of at-risk families, domestic special needs adopted children, and adoptive parents. Implications for adoptive parent recruitment, training, and support, as well child monitoring and treatment are discussed.

Keywords

biological mothers child abuse domestic adoption maltreatment special needs adoption

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC: APA Press.

Appleyard

Egeland

van Dulmen

Stroufe

L A

(2005) When more is not better: The role of cumulative risk in child behavior outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46(3): 235–245.

Auerbach

La Porte

H H

Caputo

R K

(2004) Statistical methods for estimates of interrater reliability. In: Roberts

A R

Yeager

K R

(eds). Evidence-based practice manual: Research and outcome measures in health and human services, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 444–448.

Brand

A E

Brinich

P M

(1999) Behavior problems and mental health contacts in foster and nonadopted children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 40(8): 1221–1229.

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2008) Mental health in schools and school improvement: Current status, concerns, and new directions, Los Angeles, CA: Author.

Cooper

Hedges

L V

(1994) The handbook of research synthesis, New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Erich

Leung

(2002) The impact of previous type of abuse and sibling adoption upon adoptive families. Child Abuse & Neglect 26(10): 1045–1058.

Forbes

Dziegielewski

S F

(2003) Issues facing adoptive mothers of children with special needs. Journal of Social Work 3(3): 301–320.

Fraser

M W

Kirby

L D

Smokowski

P R

(2004) Risk and resilience in childhood: An ecological perspective, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers.

10.

Heath

A C

Bucholz

K K

Madden

P A F

Dinwiddie

S H

Slutske

W S

Bierut

L J

Statham

D J

Dunne

M P

Whitfield

J B

Martin

N G

(1997) Genetic and environmental contributions to alcohol dependence risk in a national twin sample: Consistency of findings in women and men. Psychological Medicine 27(6): 1381–1396.

11.

Jenson

J M

Fraser

M W

(2006) Social policy for children and families: A risk and resilience perspective, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

12.

Kendler

K S

Jacobson

K C

Prescott

C A

Neale

M C

(2003) Specificity of genetic and environmental risk factors for use and abuse/dependence of cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, sedatives, stimulants, and opiates in male twins. American Journal of Psychiatry 160(4): 669–687.

13.

Selwyn, J., Sturgess, W., Quinton, D., & Baxter, C. (2010). Cost and outcomes: The adoption study research summary. Retrieved 28 July 2010 from: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/safeguardingandsocialcare/childreninneed/costsandoutcomes/researchsummaries.

14.

Sturgess

Selwyn

(2007) Supporting the placements of children adopted out of care. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 12(1): 13–28.

15.

Tang

T X

Marfo

Dedrick

R F

(2007) Special needs adoption from China: Exploring child-level indicators, adoptive family characteristics, and correlates of behavioral adjustment. Children and Youth Services Review 29(10): 1269–1285.

16.

Tinsley

H E A

Weiss

D J

(2000) Interrater reliability and agreement. In: Tinsley

H E A

Weiss

D J

(eds). Handbook of applied multivariate statistics and mathematical modeling, San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 95–124.

17.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. (2006). AFCARS Report - Preliminary FY 2005 Estimates as of September 2006 (13). Retrieved 29 September 2008 from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/tar/report13.htm.

18.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. Adoption Opportunities, #90-C0-0960. (2001). Priority Area 2001A.4 Evaluation of existing programs. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

19.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2008a). Child maltreatment, 2006. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. Retrieved 29 September 2008 from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm06/cm06.pdf.

20.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. (2008b). Trends in foster care and adoption: FY 2002-FY 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2008 from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/trends.htm.

21.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2008c). Adoptions of children with public child welfare agency involvement: FY 1995-FY2006. Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children’s Bureau. Retrieved 29 September 2008 from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/adoptchild06.htm.

22.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. (2008d). Children in public foster care waiting to be adopted: FY 1999-FY 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2008 from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/waiting2006.htm.

23.

US General Accounting Office (2002) Foster care; Recent legislation helps states focus on finding permanent homes for children, but long-standing barriers remain (GAO-02-585), Washington, DC: GAO.

24.

Voices for Adoption (2009) Encouraging adoption and helping families: the case for refocusing federal funding on post-adoption services, Washington, DC: Voices for Adoption, Inc.

25.

Wang

J C

Hinrichs

A L

Stock

Budde

Allen

Bertelsen

Kwon

J M

Dick

D M

Rice

Jones

Nurnberger

J R

Tischfield

Porjesz

Edenberg

H J

Hesselbrock

Crowe

Schuckit

Begleiter

Reich

Goate

A M

Bierut

L J

(2004) Evidence of common and specific genetic effects: Association of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 (CHRM2) gene with alcohol dependence and major depressive syndrome. Human Molecular Genetics 13(17): 1903–1911.