Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay Essay Example

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay Essay This short survey concerns my experiences in covering with an adoptive service user who wishes to set up contact with her birth female parent. The essay takes up the instance of J, a 46 twelvemonth old divorced lady who finds out about her history of acceptance after the decease of her adoptive parents. J tries to straight set up contact with her biological female parent, who refuses to run into her, go forthing J traumatised and emotionally devastated. The instance scenario is provided in the appendix to this essay and is considered as read. This brooding and analytical history concerns ( a ) my experiences in covering with J s jobs and demands, ( B ) my ideas and theoretical cognition of societal work theory and pattern with respect to kids who are put up for acceptance at birth, ( degree Celsius ) their assorted emotional and physical challenges, and ( vitamin D ) the desire that is sometimes manifested by them during assorted phases of their lives to set up contact with their biological parents. It makes usage of established societal work theories like the fond regard theory and the separation anxiousness theory. We will write a custom essay sample on Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I besides take up the turning prevalence of the usage of societal networking sites by adoptive kids to set up contact with their long separated birth parents, and the societal work mechanisms available in the UK to ease meetings between adopted kids and their birth parents. The Challenges of Adoption J was put up for acceptance at birth and was adopted by surrogate parents. She grew up in her Foster place in the company of her siblings, who were the birth kids of her adoptive parents. The fact of her acceptance was nevertheless concealed from her by her adoptive parents. J grew up with some feelings of malaise between her and her siblings and adoptive parents and suffered from low ego regard when she was immature. She besides displayed some behavioral jobs and found it hard to set up friendly relationships with other kids. Adoption is doubtless an of import and good societal procedure. It serves the critical demands of different persons ( Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34 ) . It relieves natural parents of the burdensome duties of conveying up kids when their fortunes make it impossible for them to make so, on history of societal and economic grounds. It ensures safety, security, physical and emotional nutriment, instruction and improved life opportunities for unwanted, orphaned or abandoned kids ( Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34 ) . It besides fulfils the demands of childless twosomes, individual people, and households for a kid. Whilst acceptance is doubtless an of import societal procedure, it brings along with it different types of societal, economic and emotional challenges for all involved people, the kid placed for acceptance, the birth parents and the adoptive parents ( Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34 ) . Adopted kids, legion surveies have revealed, are prone to the inauspicious effects of fond regard upsets and separation anxiousness ( Cassidy A ; Shaver, 1999, p 11 ) . John Bowlby, good known for his promotion of the fond regard theory, explains the critical importance for babies to develop unafraid fond regards to their primary attention givers. Bowlby states that fond regard processes between babies and health professionals are biologically based, chosen by development to maximize survival opportunities, and purpose to supply babies with feelings of security ( Cassidy A ; Shaver, 1999, p 11 ) . Such security provides babies with the foundations required to research their environments, with the full cognition that their health professionals will be able and available to supply them with protection in the face of hardship or emphasis ( Cassidy A ; Shaver, 1999, p 11 ) . The separation of kids from their primary health professionals frequently consequences in feelings of separation anxiousness and the development of fond regard upsets if their fond regard demands are non met or resolved efficaciously ( Blum, 2004, p 538 ) . Studies on adoptive kids show that positively formed fond regards between kids and health professionals improve opportunities of good adjusted lives, irrespective of the biological relationships of attachment figures with kids ( Blum, 2004, p 538 ) . Whilst it is known that J was put up for acceptance at birth, the exact age at which she was adopted is non clear. Research shows that that kids adopted after 6 months of age are at greater hazard for development of fond regard upsets ( Blum, 2004, p 538 ) . Such attachment upsets can take to emotional perturbation, eating upsets, bedwetting, deficiency of public presentation at school, trouble in development of positive relationships, backdown from society and hapless life results ( Blum, 2004, p 538 ) . The adoptive parents need to take particular attention to guarantee good accommodation of their adoptive kids. It is of import for them parents to run into the demands of babies for love and fostering on a consistent footing ( Brisch, 1999, p 79 ) . Adoption requires an active function from adoptive parents who assume the function of health professionals. As adoptive babies explore their new and foreign environment, adoptive parents must supply the needed counsel, supervising and construction to guarantee their safety ( Brisch, 1999, p 79 ) . Health professionals must besides hold the capacity and ability to supply degrees of stimulation that do non overpower or smother the baby s developmental degree. They must be attentive to the internal universe of babies by being emotionally available to assist them during periods of defeat, rejoice in their accomplishments and portion their joy of geographic expedition ( Brisch, 1999, p 79 ) . Secure fond regards create positive feelings in kids that relationships can be helpful, fulfilling, and valuable and supply equal protection in an on occasion overpowering universe ( Blum, 2004, p 545 ) . Whilst secure fond regards do non procure unsusceptibility from subsequent abnormal psychology, childhood security is surely related to ( a ) increased capacities for stress direction and ability to bounce after periods of psychological perturbation, ( B ) capacity to pull off household stressors, ( degree Celsius ) increased self-pride, ( vitamin D ) good equal relationships, and ( vitamin E ) good psychological accommodation ( Blum, 2004, p 545 ) . Contemporary psychiatric theory provinces that adopted kids frequently need curative parenting, instead than normal domestic environments. Such parenting should be based on rules like sensitiveness, reactivity, following the lead of the kid, the sharing of congruent and inter-subjective experiences and the creative activity of an environment of safety and security ( Goldsmith, et Al, 2004, p 2 ) . Parents, in order to prosecute in such curative parenting, necessitate to be committed to adopted kids, have brooding abilities, good acumen and secured mental provinces with regard to fond regard ( Goldsmith, et Al, 2004, p 2 ) . With J demoing grounds of emotional perturbation and behavioral jobs during her childhood, it is possible that her parents, whilst supplying her with a normal and unafraid domestic environment, did non put great accent in reacting to her specific emotional demands. Their privacy of her adoptive position is perchance an index of their concern for the kid and their desire to protect her emotions and feelings. Contemporary psychological and societal theories nevertheless recommend that kids be informed of their adopted position ( Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303 ) . Such information, when provided with sensitiveness and in appropriate fortunes and environmental milieus, prevents adopted kids from sing emotional traumatisation when they otherwise necessarily come to cognize of their history of acceptance and helps them in seting to their new places ( Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303 ) . Knowledge of birth parents is besides of import, both for the adoptive parents and the adoptive kids, in order to efficaciously get by with possible medical jobs ( Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303 ) . J came to cognize about her adopted position by accident when she was 42, after the decease of her adoptive parents. The cognition left her emotionally traumatised and brought back memories of her childhood and of feelings of strain in her relationships with her adoptive parents and their birth kids. It is nevertheless but just to gain that J s parents really perchance had her best involvements at bosom and were besides incognizant of the future impact of non informing her of her adoptive position. Reunion of Adopted Children with Birth Parents J, on knowing of her adopted position and the name of her birth female parent, became emotionally disturbed because was non informed of the facts of her acceptance, or about her birth parents. Adopted kids, as they grow older, frequently become funny about their birth parents, particularly so in state of affairss of small or no contact ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 1 ) . Surveies by Adoption UK, a national charity operated by adoptive parents, reveals that all adopted kids do non wish to cognize or reach their birth parents. Such desires are basically personal, with some adoptees wishing to cognize more and others holding small involvement ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 1 ) . It is nevertheless besides true that people who are non interested in reaching their birth parents when they are immature, alteration when they become older, particularly after they become parents and experience desires of cognizing, reaching and set uping relationships with their ain birth parents ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 1 ) . The outgrowth of societal networking sites like Facebook and My Space have made it far easier for adoptive kids, who wish to cognize more about their parents, to set up contact with their birth households ( Fursland, 2010, p 1 ) . Such handiness has introduced important complexnesss in the societal relationships of adoptive kids with their adopted and birth parents and is making hard challenges for societal workers when they are asked for aid by persons in demand ( Fursland, 2010, p 1 ) . Constitution of contact between adopted kids and birth parents is an highly sensitive issue and needs to be handled with attention and sensitiveness ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 2 ) . Adoption reunion can be a truly enriching and joyful experience, full of expectancy, turns and bends, joy, confusion, exhilaration, and fright. However reunion, like acceptance, is non simple and can turn out to be a hard, complex and sometimes saddening event ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 2 ) . Reconnecting with birth parents and kids is seldom seamless and easy. It requires dedication, motive, and a spring of religion ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 2 ) . Adoption reunions frequently give rise to complicated issues that have been hibernating for decennaries and have to now be dealt with and resolved. Many birth parents may hold neer have shared their kid s acceptance with anybody else ( Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57 ) . Some birth female parents protect their secret because they are afraid of how others might or will respond. For some female parents it is a affair of shame and they are instructed non to uncover their secrets to others ( Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57 ) . The National Adoption Standards for England, ( Department of Health, 2001 ) , along with the Adoption and Children Act 2002, provided birth parents in England and Wales entitlement to a support worker, apart from the kid s societal worker, from the point of designation of the acceptance program for the kid ( Goldsmith, et Al, 2004, p 4 ) . The Standards province that birth parents ( a ) should be able to entree different types of support services, including guidance, advice and information before and after acceptance, which recognise the long term deductions of acceptance, and ( B ) should be treated with transparence, equity and respect during the acceptance procedure ( Goldsmith, et Al, 2004, p 4 ) . Most adoptive kids now have programs for direct or indirect post-adoption contact with birth relations. Agencies are required to place contact agreements in acceptance programs and see post-adoption support demands of all concerned ( Goldsmith, et Al, 2004, p 4 ) . Existing ordinances like The Adoption Support Services Regulations entitle adopted kids, adoptive parents, and birth relations for demand appraisal sing contact agreements and authorization bureaus to keep services to assist such contact agreements ( Adoption UK, 2010, p 2 ) . Helping J J contacted us for support on doing contact with her birth parents. The Adoption and Children Act of 2002 has established a model that provides adoptive people, who are more than 18 old ages old and their birth relations, rights to bespeak for intermediary services if they wish to do such contacts. Such mediators are provided by registered acceptance bureaus, ( either voluntary or local authorization ) , or registered acceptance support bureaus and act as go-betweens between adopted people and their birth relations. It is recommended that people wishing to do contact with birth relations do so through mediators. J was informed about the intermediary procedure and services that could be provided by me in interceding with her birth female parent but decided to reach her straight. When J contacted our bureau and the instance was assigned to me to assist her with her emotional challenges and her desire to set up her birth female parent, I engaged her in a long treatment in order to measure her emotional position, her positions about her adoptive childhood and her desire to run into her birth female parent. I met her at her place on two occasions after taking anterior assignments in order to guarantee that she was prepared for the meeting and would be able to convey her ideas better in familiar milieus. I took attention to follow the individual centred attack and intentionally avoided all judgemental feelings about her background as a relinquished and adoptive kid. The acceptance of a individual centred attack is necessary for the true execution of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory attacks and I was able to understand J s emotional and mental status with greater lucidity and empathy ( Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p 9 ) . Whilst my pick of unfastened and near complete inquiries did assist her in opening up and in casting her suppressions and reserves, I found her to be disturbed about her adoptive position. She appeared to be disturbed with her adoptive parents for their privacy of information about her birth, her birth parents and her acceptance, and kept speaking of little incidents of her childhood about her parents and siblings. She besides spoke about her behavioral jobs, her disturbed slumber and her troubles in doing friends at school. J was nevertheless determined to set up contact with her female parent and decided to reach her every bit shortly as she found out her contact inside informations. I offered to move as intermediary and reach her female parent in order to measure ( a ) her positions on the relinquishing of her birth kid, ( B ) her current emotional position and ( degree Celsius ) her attitude towards set uping contact with J. The lady ( J ) was nevertheless unwilling to wait even for a few yearss and was convinced that her female parent would wish to run into her every bit much as she did. I did mildly explicate to her that her female parent could hold different sentiments on the issue and even offered to hasten the procedure. Whilst J did supply some indicant of being ready for my aid at the closing of our 2nd meeting, she later changed her head and established direct contact with her birth female parent. Her birth female parent, from what J told me subsequently, was perfectly surprised at having the call and was taken aback by the development. She responded to J s introductory communicating with abruptness and grimness, informing her that she did non wish to react to her overture or to set up contact. I do experience that J acted with great hastiness and the consequence of the enterprise could good hold been really different with the usage of an intermediary. I would hold telephoned J s female parent and asked for a personal meeting. I would hold once more adopted a individual centred attack, refrained from being judgemental, and would hold engaged her in treatments about her grounds for releasing her birth kid. I would hold so gently brought up the affair of J, her adopted childhood, the privacy of information about her adoptive position, and her current emotionally disturbed status. I do experience that such an attack would hold yielded a better response from her female parent than J s arbitrary method of set uping contact. Decisions This brooding history inside informations my experiences of covering with an adoptive service user, who tried to unsuccessfully set up contact with her birth female parent. Modern twenty-four hours theory on societal work and psychological science emphasiss upon the complexness of acceptance and the assorted challenges that the procedure brings up for the adoptive kids, the adoptive parents and the birth relations. Adoptive parents have peculiarly important duties in guaranting, perchance through the usage of curative parenting methods, that their adoptive kids do non endure from separation anxiousnesss and do non develop attachment upsets. It is of import for societal workers to understand the emotional deductions of these complexnesss and see the emotional demands of all involved people with empathy and understanding. It is besides of import, as my experience with J reveals, for acceptance reunion processes between adopted persons and their birth relations to be handled with great attention and idea. I do experience that I should hold been more persuasive and perchance more blunt, without being judgemental, with J on ( a ) the perchance really different perceptual experiences of her birth female parent towards the meeting, ( B ) the irresistible impulses that forced her to release her birth kid for acceptance and ( degree Celsius ) her current emotional status and societal environment. Such an action would hold perchance produced better consequences at the terminal. My cognition of societal work theory and pattern has been significantly enhanced by my experience with J and will assist me to cover with such state of affairss much better in future. 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Feast, J. , A ; Howe, D. , 1997, Adopted grownups who search for background information and contact with birth relations , Adoption A ; Fostering 21:2, pp 8-15. Fursland, E. , 2010, Facebook has changed acceptance forever , www.guardian.co.uk, Available at: www.guardian.co.uk/ /19/facebook-adoption-tracing-birth-mother ( accessed January 30, 2011 ) . Goldsmith, F. D. , Oppenheim, D. , A ; Wanlass, J. , 2004, Separation and Reunion: Using Attachment Theory and Research to Inform Decisions Affecting the Placements of Children in Foster Care , Juvenile and Family Court Journal, pp. 1-12. Hollingsworth, L. , 1998, Adoptee unsimilarity from the adoptive household: clinical pattern and research deductions , Child A ; Adolescent Social Work Journal 15, ( 4 ) : pp 303-19. Howe, D. , A ; Feast, J. , 2000, Adoption, Search and Reunion: The long-run experience of adopted grownups, London: The Children s Society. 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