Research has drawn attention to the perceptions of some adoptive parents regarding the potential stresses that exist in supporting their child's educational experience. Some adoptive parents have reported a lack of collaborative working with schools, that their adopted child's needs are not well understood and discuss the challenges that this can…

A large percentage of young people who have been adopted will have experienced early childhood trauma and neglect that can impact on their social and emotional development, and engagement with learning. Although much research has been carried out concerning adoption, the views and perspectives of adopted young people are often missing. This…

Purpose: The study investigated whether sibling relationships influenced the outcomes of a sample of adoptive placements in England and Wales that had broken down postorder or were in crisis. Method: The study used secondary analysis drawing on in-depth interviews with 41 families who had experienced an adoption disruption and 42 families who…

This article focuses on teachers' experiences of supporting looked after and adopted children in one case study primary school in England. Children who are looked after and adopted may have a disrupted attachment with their primary carer which has resulted in an insecure attachment. Children with insecure attachments can feel anxious, uncertain…

Children who leave care into adoption and special guardianship are often considered by schools and local authorities to have found their "happy ending." Yet there is growing evidence that the impact of prenatal and early trauma, abuse and neglect does not disappear upon placement in a permanent family. Rates of social, emotional and…

Background: A common polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4, 5HTT) has been repeatedly shown to moderate the influence of childhood adversity and stressful life events on the development of psychopathology. Using data from the English and Romanian Adoptee Study, a prospective-longitudinal study of individuals (n = 125) exposed to…

The adoption into the UK of children who have been reared in severely deprived conditions provides an opportunity to study possible association between very early negative experiences and subsequent brain development. This cross-sectional study was a pilot for a planned larger study quantifying the effects of early deprivation on later brain…

Reports on two questionnaires designed to measure the adoption of twelve new science curriculum projects. Points out discrepancies in the results of the surveys in the areas of percentage of adoption, use by teachers with different subject area specializations, and position of the teacher doing the reporting. (GS)

Discusses the role of adoption services within the wider context of children's services, and examines the reasons why adoption, having once achieved a position at the pinnacle of the available child placement options, now seems to be a placement option fundamentally out of step with other initiatives for child welfare services. (TJQ)

Discusses postplacement adoption service contracts between East Sussex Social Services and the Post-Adoption Centre (PAC). Describes how PAC originally provided subscription services to local authorities, but when limitations of the subscription service were recognized, a collaborative service with more local authority was developed. (AJH)

Describes the establishment, promotion, and five-year progress of a postadoption service in Hampshire, England. (SW)

Examined the intercountry adoption experiences of 100 French and 100 English families, comparing policy in each country. Found a lack of effective and sensitive management of the introductory meetings between prospective parents and adoptive children, and of adequate birth records information. (HTH)

One of the features of Australian society during the past 25 years, from the late 1950s to the early 1980s, has been the changing nature of the family. Significant changes have occurred in family formation and breakdown; in family composition and structures; in family relationships; and in the status, rights, and obligations of family members.…

Investigated the quality of parenting and psychological adjustment of 12-year-old children conceived through donor insemination (DI). Found that DI mothers showed greater expressive warmth while DI fathers showed less involvement in discipline, compared to parents with adopted or naturally conceived children. Found that DI children were well…