A Report to Congress on Barriers and Success Factors in Adoptions from Foster Care: Perspectives of Families and Staff Supported by the Adoption Opportunities Program

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A Report to Congress on Barriers and Success Factors in Adoptions from Foster Care: Perspectives of Families and Staff Supported by the Adoption Opportunities Program

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

I. Introduction

A Background of Research
B Protection of Human Subjects

Study 1
II. Barriers Study: Methods and Demographics

A   Methods
    1. Initial Data Collection
    2. Follow-up Data Collection
    3. Exit Interviews
    4. Coding Methodology
B   Demographic Characteristics of Family Participants
    1. Family Structure: Initial Data Collection
    2. Family Status
    3. Age, Education, and Family Income
    4. Family Race/Ethnicity by Family Status
    5. Family Race/Ethnicity by Type of Agency
    6. Adoptive Parent Sample

III. Barriers Study: Family Perspectives

A   Sample Description
    1. Type of Adoption by Family Status
    2. Point of Completion by Type of Adoption
    3. Type of Child Family Desired to Adopt
    4. Adoption Exchange Registration
    5. Characteristics of Discontinued Families
    6. Characteristics of Finalized Families
    7. Motivation to Adopt through Foster Care
    8. Demographic Characteristics of Adopted Children
    9. Demographic Characteristics of the Children Whose Adoptive Placements Disrupted
B   Barriers for Adoptive Parents
    1. Process Group Categories and Steps in the Adoption Process
    2. Barriers Coding and Analysis Methodology
    3. Barriers Reported by Families in Different Stages of the Adoption Process
    4. Summary of Adoption Barriers
    5. Barriers to Adoption Experienced by Families of Color and Caucasian Families

IV. Barriers Study: Staff Perspectives

A   Methods
B   Staff Demographics
C   Results
    1. Agency Barriers
    2. Family Barriers
    3. Child Barriers
    4. Differences Between Public and Private Agency Staff Perspectives

Study 2
V. Success Factors Study: Methods and Demographics

A   Methods
    1. Adoptive Parent Survey
    2. Longitudinal Follow-up Surveys
B   Demographic Characteristics of Successful Families
    1. Family Structure: Initial Data Collection
    2. Age, Family Income, and Education
    3. Family Race/Ethnicity
    4. Transracial and Same-race Adoptive Families: Family and Focus Child Race/Ethnicity
    5. Number of Adopted Children
    6. Ages of Children in the Home
    7. Type of Adoption by Family Status
    8. Foster Parent Adopters
    9. Type of Adoption Agency
C   Demographic Characteristics of Focus Children
    1. Age at Placement and Time in Adoptive Home
    2. Race/Ethnicity of Focus Child
    3. Gender of Focus Child

VI. Success Factors Study: Family Factors Associated With Successful Adoptive Families

A   Adoptive Family Structure
    1. Number of Children Adopted by Family Structure
    2. Current Household Composition
    3. Type of Child Adopted by Family Structure
    4. Families' Level of Support for Adoption
B   Post-Adoption Services
    1. Utilization of Post-Adoption Services
    2. Post-Adoption Services Received
    3. Most Helpful Post-Adoption Services
    4. Unmet Service Needs
    5. Concerns Parents Have With Utilization of Post-Adoption Services
C Child Behavior Challenges and Parental Stress
    1. Adoptive Parent Stress Measured by the Parenting Stress Index
    2. Child Behavior Challenges, Parenting Difficulty, and Parental Stress
    3. Children's Significant Behavior Challenges
    4. Children's Disabilities and Other Special Needs
D Parental Satisfication With Parenting, Their Marriage, and Their Child's Adoption
    1. Parental Satisfaction Measures and Scores
    2. Relationship Between Parenting and Marital Satisfaction
E Adoptive Family Contact With Birthparents
    1. Demographic Characteristics of Families who had Post-Finalization Contact With Birthparents
    2. Demographic Characteristics of Focus Children in Contact With Birthparents Post-finalization
    3. Experiences With Contact in Adoption
F Successful Adoptions
    1. Adoptive Parents' Definition of Successful Adoption
    2. Success Indicators in Focus Child's Adoption
    3. Families' Contributions to Success
    4. Focus Child's Contributions to Success
    5. Adoption Agency Contributions to Success
G Families' Advice to Prospective Adoptive Parents
H Families' Advice to Agencies

Appendix A: Barriers Study: Child, Family, and Agency Factors influencing the Adoption Process

Appendix B: Barriers Study: Top Barriers and Overall Barriers influencing the Adoption Process

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