Adjustment, Openness in Adoption, and Family Services:

1. Adjustment, Openness in Adoption, and Family Services: Findings from The Early Growth and Development Study 2nd Annual Adoption Caseworker Forum Heart of Adoptions, Inc. Tampa, FL February 26, 2009 Leslie Leve, Ph.D. Oregon Social Learning Center Jody Ganiban, Ph.D. George Washington University

2. Overview of Presentation • Description of the Early Growth & Development Study (EGDS) • Early Results on Developmental Outcomes and the Adoption Process from EGDS • Implications for Prevention and Services for Adoptive Families

3. I. Early Growth and Development Study • 3 NIH grants to study adoption process and nature-nurture interplay with 560 linked adoptive families and birth parents • Domestic adoption placements • Adoption occurred within 3 mo. post-partum • Infant free of major medical problems • 3 major assessments for birth parents and 6 major assessments for adoptive families spanning infancy through 1st grade

4. Birth Mother Adoptive Mother Birth Father Adoptive Father Adopted Child EGDS study design • Adoption Triad: Birth mother/birth father, adoptive mother/father, & adopted child

5. EGDS Family of Studies EGDS-Phase 1 (PI: Reiss) Sept 2002- Aug 2007 n = 360 adoption triads parenting, context, externalizing, internalizing, social competence, birth parent characteristics 3 mo to 6 mo 36- 48 mo 4 ½ yrs Prenatal Period 9 mo 18 mo 27 mo 6 yrs 7 yrs EGDS-School (PI: Leve) Sept 2007 – July 2012 n = 360 New: Emergent literacy, executive functioning, HPA axis functioning EGDS-Phase 2 (PI: Neiderhiser) Sept 2007 – May 2012 n = 200 NEW + 360 from EGDS-Phase 1 New: 200 cases, DNA, enhanced measurement of birthparent experiences, prenatal exposures

6. Assessments • In-person assessment with adoptive families at age 9-, 18-, 27-months, and age 4 1/2, 6, 7 years • In-person assessment with birth parents 3-6 mo., 18 mo., and 4 years postpartum • Data collected from parent questionnaires, interviews, home observations, children, teachers

7. Recruitment Locations • Three data collection sites in Phase I • Pacific Northwest (Oregon Social Learning Center) • Mid-Atlantic (George Washington University) • Southwest (University of California, Davis) • Two additional regions added for Phase 2 • Midwest (University of Minnesota) • Southeast

8. Recruitment Strategy • Agency Recruitment • Each data collection site identifies “local” agencies • Collects data on number and type of placements • Identify agency liaison once agency agrees to participate • 33 agencies in 10 states participated in Phase 1 • 20 agencies participating in EGDS-Phase 2 (6 new agencies)

9. Demographics for BPs and APs:

10. Demographics (Con’t) • Adoptive Parents • 1% single • 84% AM, 86% AF married • 1% divorced/separated • 9% remarried • 5% AM, 4% AF cohabitating, committed rel. • Birth Parents • 77% BM, 72% BF single • 8% BM, 22% BF married • 14% BM, 5% BF divorced/separated • 1% BM & BF remarried

11. Developmental Research Domains • Birth parents, adoptive parents, and children • Temperament and personality • Social context (stress, social support, economic circumstances, partner/marital relations) • Externalizing, internalizing, social competence • Alcohol & drug use and problems • Executive functioning and literacy • DNA and salivary cortisol samples • Adoptive parents only • Parenting • Birth parents only • Prenatal exposure to substances, toxins, stress

12. Clean-up Task – designed to examine parenting and child compliance

13. Temperament Task – designed to examine child’s frustration/attention

14. II. EGDS Results: • Contributions to general developmental theory • Understanding the contributions of genes & • parenting to children’s behavior and adjustment B. Contributions to understanding the adoption process • Adoption openness • Agency selection & services • What was helpful, what was hard

15. Birth Parent’s Externalizing behavior Infant’s risk for Externalizing behavior BUT … The size and significance of this association depends on the adoptive mothers’ behaviors. • emotion regulation skills • tendency to structure child’s behavior Leve et al. (in press). Infant pathways to externalizing behavior: evidence of Genotype x environment interaction. Child Development.

16. B. Contributions to understanding the adoption process. • Openness: • Understanding the effects of openness on birth and adoptive parents Ge et al. (2008). Bridging the divide: openness in Adoption and postadoption psychosocial adjustment among birth and adoptive parents. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 529-540.

17. What was the level of openness in the adoption? 65% report Open adoptions 65% report Open adoptions % of Adoptive mothers Very Open Very closed Closed Semi Open Mod. Open Open Quite Open Openness in the adoption (1-7 rating scale, mother report when child is 9 months) Ge et al. (2008)

18. How satisfied are adoptive mothers with the information they have about the birth parents? (very stable; numbers here are at 27-months) Birth Mothers Birth Fathers

19. How satisfied are adoptive fathers with the information they have about the birth parents? (very stable; numbers here are at 27-months) Birth Fathers Birth Mothers Birth Fathers

20. How does openness relate to post-adoption adjustment for Adoptive Parents? Satisfaction with adoption process Degree of Openness Ge et al. (2008)

21. How does openness relate to post-adoption adjustment for Birth Mothers & Fathers? Adjustment to the process Satisfaction with adoption process Degree of Openness Positive Impression Ge et al. (2008)

22. Changes in Openness and Satisfaction across Toddlerhood

23. Openness & satisfaction with openness • Most families report a moderate levels of openness and satisfaction with the adoption process throughout toddlerhood: • e.g., maintain periodic phone contact, visits, or mail exchanges • BUT .. openness and satisfaction with the adoption process decreased somewhat over time according to adoptive mothers, adoptive father, birth mothers, and birth fathers.

24. How would adoptive mothers change openness? 18-months 27-months 9-months

25. How would adoptive fathers change openness? 18-months 9-months 27-months

26. B. Contributions to understanding the adoption process. • Openness: • Understanding the effects of openness on birth and adoptive parents • Agency Selection: • How do parents select an agency to work with?

27. Why did the adoptive family select their agency? • On average, adoptive families looked at 3-4 agencies before selecting the one they used. The primary deciding factors were: • The agency’s philosophy about adoption, including openness, and the agency mission statement (83%) • The information received about the adoption agency from a packet, website, or meeting (69%) • Other people’s recommendation, word of mouth, or agency reputation (68%) • Geographic location of the agency (53%) • Agency staff (50%)

28. Why did the birth mother select their agency? • On average, birth mothers looked at about 2 agencies before selecting the one they used. The primary deciding factors were: • The agency’s philosophy about adoption, including openness, and the agency mission statement (68%) • The information received about the adoption agency from a packet, website, or meeting (64%) • Services offered, such as counseling, meeting other birth parents, or support group (50%) • Other people’s recommendation, word of mouth, or agency reputation (47%) • Agency staff (45%)

29. Adoptive Parents’ Satisfaction (‘very’ or ‘somewhat’) with services • The information agency provided about adoption process (96%) • Education and support services (90%) • Ability to make recommendations for outside services like counseling (89%) • Staff responsiveness to requests (88%) • Skill of the staff (92%) • Policy about openness (98%) • Home study process, including the length of time it took to complete it (95%) • Matching process (95%) • Placement process (94%) • Post placement services (91%)

30. Services sought outside of the agency • Legal services (19%) • Home study from a different agency (7%) • Infant care/parenting classes (4%) • Support group (4%) • Counseling (3%)

31. B. Contributions to understanding the adoption process. • Openness: • Understanding the effects of openness on birth and • adoptive parents • Agency Selection: • How do parents select an agency to work with? • Adoption Process: • What was helpful? • What was difficult? • How has adoption affected your life?

32. Agency services that were most helpful • The matching/placement process • Educational classes • Orientation workshop • Specific social worker/staff member • Availability and support of agency staff • Counseling • Mediation with birth mother

33. Nicest or most important thing someone did during the adoption process • Support from friends and family • Baby shower • The birth parents choosing us to raise their child • Friends and family providing meals • Friends and family babysitting • Friends and family sharing their experiences with adoption

34. The most difficult part of the adoption process • Waiting for a child • Coming to the decision to adopt • The adoption process • General adjustment to new child (lack of sleep, siblings) • Coming to terms with infertility issues • Adoption paperwork • Cost • Dealing with a failed adoption(s)

35. How has your child affected your life? (mothers @ 27 months) Marital Relationship Other Children Satisfaction With Life

36. How has your child affected your life? (fathers @ 27 months) Marital Relationship Other Children Satisfaction With Life

37. III. Implications for Prevention and Services • Most challenging parenting issues • Desired services • Format of services

38. What months have been the most challenging to parent?

39. What months have been the most challenging to parent?

40. What do adoptive parents think are the “most challenging issues” as parents (1st year of life)

41. What do adoptive parents think are the “most challenging issues” as parents (2nd year of life)

42. What do adoptive parents think are the “most challenging issues” as parents (2nd year of life)

43. Desired Adoption-Specific Parenting Services • Talking to child about adoption (how/when) • Contact with birth parents (how much/how to manage) • Transracial and cultural issues (how to educate) • Blended families (how to discuss with your children) • Stigma/responding to others’ questions

44. Agency services families wished the agency had provided • More/better education about the adoption process • More/better support groups • More parenting education • More staff accessibility • Support groups pre-placement • More support for birth mothers

45. How often wanted some advice about parenting? Mothers Fathers

46. Top 3 areas where parenting information would be helpful (mothers @ 27 months) Disciplining Managing Toddler Emotions Temper Tantrums

47. Top 3 areas where parenting information would be helpful (fathers @ 27 months) Disciplining Managing Toddler Emotions Sleep Issues

48. Other areas where help information and services would be helpful (at least 1/3 of mothers said information would be ‘helpful’ or ‘very helpful’) • Enhancing child’s strengths (46%) • General child development (43%) • Adoption issues (42%) • Child compliance (40%) • Child hitting, biting (39%) • Child whining (38%) • Child temperament (37%) • How to play with child (34%)

49. How would you like to receive parenting resource information? Mothers Fathers

50. How often would you like services? Mothers Fathers