Re: More on Adoption Readiness

[rbarth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Rick Barth)]

Understanding the risks of disruption is helpful, but not the basis for a useful
instrument because disruptions are so rare that we cannot really predict them. 
The models used to predict disruption rarely explain much more than the baserates
for disruption (which are low).  In short, the best instrument would almost always
(if not always) indicate that the child should be placed for adoption.  I cannot
imagine an instrument with the specificity to indicate that any adoption would be
predicted as a disruption.  

Now, if the intent of this is only to determine what help a child and parent might
need in getting ready for an adoption, then this would be worthwhile.

I have recently reviewed the risks and rates of adoption in the Adoption Factbook
III available from the National Council for Adoption (www.ncfa-usa.org).


-- Begin original message --

From: "Clifton_Lauralea" <Clifton_Lauralea@email.msn.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 11:08:59 -0800
Subject: Re: Adoption Readiness
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers   <CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Reply-To: CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu

There was a study conducted by Dr. Ruth G. McRoy for The Texas Department of
Protective and Regulatory Services in August 1994 titled "Study of Adoption
Dissolutions in Texas".  I'm not sure that is  what you are looking for but
it might give you some insight to was causes a breakdown in adoption
placement.  It is very interesting reading.  I believe Dr. McRoy is with the
University of Texas at Austin.

Lauralea Cox L.S.W.
Home Study Specialist
Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc.


----- Original Message -----
From: Rick Barth <rbarth@email.unc.edu>
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 6:17 AM
Subject: Re: Adoption Readiness


> I know of no such instrument nor would I expect that such an instrument
could be
> developed.  There is too little that we know about what makes adoptions
work to be
> able to structure a predictive instrument.  If we could, the instrument
would need
> to include information from the parent and child (not just the child)
because the
> success of adoptions, like all parenting endeavors, involves an
interactions.
> There is a very interesting paper in the latest issue of American
Psychologist
> about the genetic and parental contributions to child well-being and the
evidence
> that a luminous group of authors presents clarifies that there are no
parent or
> child main effects!  The important effects are in the interactions.
>
> I would think it very ill advised to ever trust an assessment based on an
> instrument to decide that a child should not be adopted.  Becoming adopted
is a
> process negotiated over time.  I'm not sure how a snapshot would help.
>
>
> -- Begin original message --
>
> From: "Jodi Moore" <jmoore@cwla.org>
> Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 17:03:16 -0500
> Subject: Adoption Readiness
> To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
> Reply-To: CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
>
> I am interested in measuring the adoption readiness of children and
> adolescents who are in the child welfare system due to abuse or neglect
> and are in the process of being adopted by their kinship caregiver.
> Does anyone know of any instruments pertaining to adoption that might be
> useful with this population?
>
> Jodi Moore
> Child Welfare League of America
> jmoore@cwla.org
>
>
>
> -- End original message --
>
>
> Richard P. Barth, Ph.D.
> Frank A Daniels Professor
> Jordan Institute for Families
> School of Social Work
> 301 Pittsboro Rd
> University of North Carolina
> Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3550
> (v) 919 962 6516
> (f)        962 1486
>



-- End original message --


Richard P. Barth, Ph.D.
Frank A Daniels Professor 
Jordan Institute for Families
School of Social Work
301 Pittsboro Rd
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3550
(v) 919 962 6516
(f)        962 1486