Re: Birth Parents and Reunification

[Kym Kilpatrick <kkilpatr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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I am also interested in this topic and the related one of psychological 
issues for the children. Issues that occur are those of attachments both in 
terms of broken attachments to previous carers as well as the nature of 
attachments to birth parents, the challenges for birth parents in managing 
acting out behaviours (assuming the child feels secure enough to act out), 
issues of guilt and blame (child and parent, for example does the child 
blame him/herself), fear of ongoing removal, etc. I'm particularly 
interested in what case-workers can do to help. All comments/thoughts etc 
greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Kym

At 11:41  30/06/03 -0700, you wrote:
>I am working on a study about birth parents and the reunification process.
>Does anyone know of any research, published or unpublished, that targets the
>following:
>
>a)The psychological processes birth parents go through either in reunifying
>with their children or in securing them alternative placements (e.g. grief,
>anger/rage, helplessness).
>
>b)Birth parents' readiness/willingness to change and the effect this has on
>the reunification process.
>
>c)Intervention programs for birth parents that have a peer support component
>to them.
>
>Any references would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
>
>Julia Costello
>Center for Social Services Research
>U.C. Berkeley

Regards,

Kym.

Kym Kilpatrick, Ph.D.,             e-mail:kkilpatr@metz.une.edu.au
Psychology Department,             phone: + 61 67 73-5197
University of New England,         fax:   + 61 67 73-3820
Armidale NSW 2351, Australia

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