Session: The Impact of Family Relationship Characteristics on Long-Term Child Wellbeing after Adoption from Foster Care (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Background and Purpose: Up to one-fifth or more of children adopted through the U.S. child welfare system experience post-adoption instability and strained family relationships. However, little research has explored the long-term characteristics of relationships between adopted children, their parents, and other family members. Post-adoption relationship characteristics such as parent-child closeness, child belonging, frequency of family contact, adoption at child birth, and openness to birth family contact, are important for understanding longitudinal child wellbeing.

Methods: This symposium includes three studies on how the post-adoption relationship characteristics of families, such as adoption openness; family closeness, contact, and belonging; and child identity formation from birth to young adulthood impact child and family wellbeing. The symposium examines post-adoption adjustment longitudinally, based on the views of both young adults who were previously adopted from foster care (YA) and their adoptive parents (AP).

Results: The first study, (115 YA and AP dyads) showed that YA, as compared to AP, reported lower levels of YA-AP closeness in childhood, YA-AP current closeness, and YA belonging to the family. For example, 69% of YA reported they very/completely belonged to their adoptive family, as compared to 93% of AP. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that closeness in childhood, current closeness, current contact levels, and family belonging were negatively associated with post-adoption instability.

In the second study, results illuminated how YA perceived their connection to birth parents and belonging in the adoptive family. 73% of respondents knew at least one birth parent, higher among open adoptions (89%) and kinship adoptions (85%) compared to those without open adoptions (71%) and non-kinship placements (69%). Nearly three-quarters (73%) reported feeling they very much/completely belonged in their adoptive families, and 76% reported being very/extremely hopeful about their future. Results of a logistic regression model showed that adoption before the age of five and open adoption status were positively associated with a strong sense of familial belonging.

The third study used a mixed-methods approach, and found through descriptive and thematic analysis that adoption at birth can lead to long-term trauma, particularly during key life transitions. However, protective factors such as strong family support, health stability, and openness about adoption can mitigate this trauma and improve emotional well-being. This study suggested the need for targeted interventions and support systems for adopted individuals to prevent the onset of prolonged trauma and minimize disruptions in identity formation.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings from these studies highlight a range of relationship challenges that many post-adoptive families face, but also suggest potential points of intervention. For instance, programs that bolster family closeness, contact, and belonging; create appropriate avenues for adoption openness; or promote positive child identity for children adopted at any age may positively impact the long-term wellbeing of youth adopted from foster care. The studies in this symposium also illustrate the importance of obtaining different perspectives in post-adoption research, as the survey responses of YAs may differ significantly from those of APs.