Young Adult Adoptee's Perspective: Biological Parent Involvement and Young Adult Wellbeing

Background and Purpose: Over the past several decades, adoption practices in the United States have shifted significantly toward greater openness. Open adoption—which allows for some form of contact or knowledge exchange between birth and adoptive families—has become more common and is now widely seen as a way to support the identity development and psychological well-being of adopted people. Similarly, kinship adoptions have been increasingly prioritized by child welfare systems due to their ability to preserve familial ties and cultural continuity.

While previous research has documented the potential benefits of openness in adoption, fewer studies have focused on the perspectives of people who were adopted through foster care and are now young adults. Understanding how young adults who were adopted (YA) perceive their connection to birth parents—and how these connections relate to their sense of belonging in the adoptive family and hope for the future—offers critical insights into long-term well-being outcomes.

Methods: This study draws upon data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) Adoption Study to explore the perspectives of young adults who were adopted through the US child welfare system on birth parent involvement and YA well-being. The sample includes 201 YA (average age 24) adopted through foster care in the United States. We used descriptive analysis and logistic regression to examine: (1) how often do YA report knowing at least one birth parent, and whether this varies by adoption openness or kinship placement; (2) the proportion of YA reporting a strong sense of belonging within their adoptive family; and (3) whether knowledge of birth family, open adoption, and kinship care are associated with YA well-being—measured through familial belonging and hope for the future—controlling for age at adoption.

Findings: Results indicate that 73% of respondents knew at least one birth parent. This figure was higher among those with open adoptions (89%) and those adopted by relatives (85%) compared to those without open adoptions (71%) or non-kinship placements (69%). Nearly three-quarters (73%) reported feeling they “completely” or “very much” belong in their adoptive families, and 76% reported being “extremely” or “very” hopeful about their future. Two variables in the logistic regression model were positively associated with a strong sense of familial belonging: adoption before the age of five (OR = 2.76; CI: 1.23–6.18) and open adoption status (OR = 2.35; CI: 1.02–5.39). None of the variables had a statistically significant relationship with hope for the future.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings reinforce the idea that early-age adoption and open adoption are both positively associated with greater familial belonging among YA and underscores the importance of promoting developmentally appropriate and safe connections with birth families and supporting adoptive families in fostering communicative openness. Doing so can enhance identity integration and sense of belonging in YA, both of which are vital to long-term well-being.