International adoption and the formation of new family attachments

Adoption Preparedness, Cultural Engagement, and Parental Satisfaction in Intercountry Adoption

“…Research has found that adoptive parents and their children can be unprepared for the complexity of problems that they will face post-adoption (Shapiro et al, 2001). In particular, these authors identified key problems in physical well-being, cognitive development, attachment, and early object loss.…”

“…In particular, these authors identified key problems in physical well-being, cognitive development, attachment, and early object loss. Some of these problems are so significant that they require professional intervention because many adoptive parents are not prepared to assess need, much less know where to find appropriate assistance (Shapiro et al, 2001). Mainemer, Gilman, and Ames (1998) reported that 55% of adoptive parents were concerned about medical problems, 49% were concerned about developmental delays, and 18% were concerned about behavioral problems.…”

A Preliminary Investigation of the Effectiveness of Attachment Therapy for Adopted Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder

“…Although parenting skills training has evolved over the years and is now offered to most parents adopting children from the foster care system in the United States, a number of these children continue to be very difficult to parent, appear to lack empathy and conscience development, and do not bond to their new parents (Delaney 1998;Magid and McKelvey 1987). The problems of families who adopt children with attachment difficulties have been documented by many authors (Groze and Rosenthal 1993;Henry 1999;Hughes 1999;Shapiro et al 2001;Westhues and Cohen 1990). The behaviors that children with RAD exhibit when placed in adoptive homes include difficulty in forming a loving relationship with the adoptive parents and oppositional reactions to parenting techniques that are generally found to be useful and appropriate with most children (Hall and Geher 2003;Shapiro et al 2001).…”

“…The problems of families who adopt children with attachment difficulties have been documented by many authors (Groze and Rosenthal 1993;Henry 1999;Hughes 1999;Shapiro et al 2001;Westhues and Cohen 1990). The behaviors that children with RAD exhibit when placed in adoptive homes include difficulty in forming a loving relationship with the adoptive parents and oppositional reactions to parenting techniques that are generally found to be useful and appropriate with most children (Hall and Geher 2003;Shapiro et al 2001). Attachment therapy has been developed to improve the child's trust in the adoptive parents, to improve the child's social and emotional functioning, and to teach effective parenting techniques for use with unattached children (Hughes 1998;Randolph 2001).…”

Experiences of Parents of Children Adopted from Overseas: A Thematic Analysis of Narratives

“…Little is known about these families, however. Adjustment of international adoptees has received considerable interest from researchers studying attachment and early childhood experiences (Shapiro, Shapiro, & Paret, 2001;Stams, Juffer, & van IJzendoorn, 2002;van Londen, Juffer, & van IJzendoorn, 2007;Welsh, Viana, Petrill, & Mathias, 2007), but there is a dearth of studies focusing on adoptive parents and their psychological adjustment. This is an important issue for researchers to consider because adoptive families are three times more likely to seek clinical services than birth families (Adoption Institute, 2010).…”