Changing Agency Practices Toward Openness in Adoption

Henney, Susan M.; Onken, Steven J.; McRoy, Ruth G.; Grotevant, Harold D.

doi:10.1300/j145v01n03_04

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive families have all infl uenced the social and legal aspects of adoption and contributed to more open and respectful practices which honour all members of the adoption triad (Henney, Onken, McRoy, & Grotevant, 1998;Henney, McRoy, Ayers-Lopez, & Grotevant, 2003;Gritter, 1997). Nonetheless, it has been well documented that a woman who places a child for adoption experiences profound grief and loss (Condon, 1986;DeSimone, 1996;Deykin, Campbell & Patti 1984;Logan, 1996;Rynearson, 1982;Smith, 2006;Wiley & Baden 2005;Winkler & Van Keppel, 1984).…”

Section: Domestic Adoption Has Declined Signifi Cantly As Women Havementioning

confidence: 99%

Grief & Loss Resolution among Birth Mothers in Open Adoption

Krahn¹,

Sullivan²

2015

cswr

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While research has explored birth parent grief and loss, it has not been thorough in exploring how the experience of having an open adoption affects birth parents’ grief and loss experience and resolution. Previous research has highlighted positive effects of open adoptions to date, but is quite limited in regards to the birth parents’ adjustment in current day, open adoptions. This descriptive, qualitative study explores birth parents’ experiences in current day, open adoptions and seeks to understand their experience of grief and loss and their movement towards grief resolution in the context of an open adoption. Findings of this study confirm that the experience of adoption placement involves grief and loss and that openness in adoption helps to mitigate this painful experience. Most notably, birth parents found meaning, comfort, and peace in knowing of their child’s well-being and by having ongoing involvement in the life of the child and adoptive family. This opens new avenues in thinking about adoption and the meanings participants make of it.Même si la recherche s’est penchée sur le deuil et la peine des parents biologiques, elle n’a pas approfondi l’effet d’une adoption ouverte sur leur douleur et leurs façons de composer avec celle-ci. Des recherches ont montré les effets positifs de l’adoption ouverte, mais elles ont peu abordé l’adaptation dont doivent faire preuve les parents biologiques ayant choisi l’adoption ouverte de nos jours. La présente étude descriptive et qualitative explore l’expérience vécue par les parents biologiques et cherche à comprendre leur deuil et leur peine ainsi que leurs façons de les surmonter. Les résultats montrent que la décision de confier un enfant à l’adoption s’accompagne d’un deuil et d’une peine, et qu’une ouverture permet d’atténuer la douleur d’une telle action. En particulier, les parents biologiques ont trouvé un réconfort à être au courant du bien-être de leur enfant et à garder contact avec celui-ci et sa famille adoptive. Cette étude ouvre de nouvelles perspectives au sujet de l’adoption et du sens que les participants lui donnent

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Section: Domestic Adoption Has Declined Signifi Cantly As Women Havementioning

confidence: 99%

Grief & Loss Resolution among Birth Mothers in Open Adoption

Krahn¹,

Sullivan²

2015

cswr

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“…Agencies believed confidentiality would protect members of the adoption triad: The birthmother would not have to bear the grief of seeing her child parented by others or bear the stigma of unwed motherhood, the adoptive parents would not have to endure the fear of the child being reclaimed by the birthparent, and the child would not carry the stigma of illegitimacy (Baumann, 1997;Henney, Onken, McRoy, & Grotevant, 1998;Silverman, 2001).…”

Section: Abstract Adoption Open Adoption Openness Adoption Agencymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the same time, agency personnel began reporting a change in beliefs about the extent to which openness is related to positive resolution of adoption related issues (Baumann, 1997;Henney et al, 1998). More agencies began to see openness as related to better adjustment for each triad member.…”

Section: Openness In Adoption Revisitedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More agencies began to see openness as related to better adjustment for each triad member. Adoption practitioners who believed openness had a positive effect on birthmothers' and adoptive families' adjustment incorporated openness procedures into their adoption practice (Baumann, 1997;Henney et al, 1998;Sobol, Daly, & Kelloway, 2000).…”

Section: Openness In Adoption Revisitedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors' previous research with private adoption agencies indicated that from 1987 to 1993, agency personnel reported a significant change in the openness options offered to birthmothers and prospective adoptive families (Henney et al, 1998). Agencies tended to move away from offering only confidential and mediated adoptions as standard practice and toward offering mediated and fully disclosed adoptions.…”

Section: Openness In Adoption Revisitedmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Impact of Openness on Adoption Agency Practices

et al. 2003

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The Maintenance of Traditional and Technological Forms of Post‐Adoption Contact

et al. 2016

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Openness in adoption practice now often includes post-adoption contact with the adopted child's birth family. Traditionally, indirect and direct contact has been supported and mediated by professionals following the adoption of children from the public care system in the UK. However, more recently, the widespread growth in the use of digital technologies has made it possible for both adopted children and birth relatives to search and contact one another through the use of sites such as Facebook without professional support. This practice has been called 'virtual contact'. Using data from interviews with 11 adoptive parents and 6 adopted young people, who had experienced virtual contact, it is suggested that virtual contact works well when it is successfully integrated with the maintenance of more traditional methods of contact but can present risks when introduced without prior contact.Implications for practice are discussed in terms of how virtual contact can become a positive addition to adoption practices by utilising integrated methods of openness through which adoptive relationships can be maintained.  Integrated openness may not work well for all individuals and it is necessary to assess the appropriateness and value of all relationships irrespective of the methods of contact.

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Changing Agency Practices Toward Openness in Adoption

Cited by 24 publications

References 12 publications

Grief & Loss Resolution among Birth Mothers in Open Adoption

Grief & Loss Resolution among Birth Mothers in Open Adoption

The Impact of Openness on Adoption Agency Practices

The Maintenance of Traditional and Technological Forms of Post‐Adoption Contact

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