Elizabeth Monck

Adopters' Experiences of Preparation to Parent Children with Serious Difficulties:

A selected group of adopters coping with very troubled children recently placed from care was asked about their satisfactions and dissatisfactions with the preparation for parenting that had been provided. Although some aspects were well received, most thought that the preparation had not been helpful in developing the parenting skills for managing difficult behaviour. It was notable that the childs level of disturbance still came as a surprise to many. The study, reported here by Alan Rushton and Elizabeth Monck, throws up the question of how to deliver a service that meets the need for both general preparation to adopt and preparation to parent the specific child eventually placed. Fresh consideration needs to be given to the best means, and timing, of parenting preparation and support.

A "real-world" evaluation of an adoptive parenting programme: reflections after conducting a randomized trial.

The persistence of mental health problems in children placed late for adoption The mental health problems of looked after children have received increasing attention over the years, but the subsequent course of these problems once a child has moved into a permanent family placement is a more recent focus for research. A number of follow-up studies of maltreated children placed late for adoption have confirmed that, although good progress was likely to take place in the new home, some problems persisted, with the worst problems severely straining the placement resulting, in a minority of cases, in disruption. Clear evidence exists that the extent and severity of the child’s psycho-social problems is related to instability of the placement and premature ending. The Maudsley Adoption and Fostering Study collected data prospectively from a representative sample of late adoptive placements over a six year period (Rushton and Dance, 2006). Most of the children had entered care because of prior abuse, neglect and rejection. Early adversities, including negative pre-natal environments, are likely to have an effect on both psychological and physiological systems and to have ill effects across several developmental domains (Howe, 2009).The main factors contributing to a higher risk of disruption were found to be older age at placement, a longer time in care and a high level of behavioural problems in the early part of the placement. Common challenges to the new parents included oppositional behaviour, slow-to-develop or distorted attachments and extreme emotional reactions.

Access to post‐adoption services when the child has substantial problems

The aim of the study described here was to assess the types of additional specialist service available to adoptive parents participating in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of post‐adoption support whose ex‐care children were showing substantial psychosocial problems. Parents from 37 families who volunteered for the RCT were asked about access to professional help with problems arising from the placement, additional to the tested support: questions focused on which services they had received, how long they waited and whether the services were, in their terms, satisfactory. The study found that 23 families had used or applied for 37 separate specialised services to support the child or family. Although 56% of families were positive about services, 12 families had waited more than a year for a first contact with specialists and 44% of parents said the services had not met their needs. The experiences of these parents show that more timely and targeted services are needed for adoptive families with a child with psychosocial problems.