Voices of children adopted at an older age about challenges and facilitators in their social history

Abstract

Abstract Since 2016, the adoption of older children has become a priority for policymakers and practitioners in Romania, and several measures have been taken to stimulate their adoption. Since this is a relatively new practice in Romania, we were not able to identify any studies that gave a voice to Romanian children to understand how they experience adoption and the challenges and facilitator factors that entail. This study aimed to fill this gap by interviewing 12 children and adolescents aged between 7 and 13. The children offered important insights into the risk factors and adversities they endured before adoption, the challenges they faced during this process, and the tasks they had to undertake after. They also highlighted the factors that facilitated their resilience throughout the adoption process. We found that older children, despite their past adversities, have a good capacity for resilience, which is reflected in their ability to create new bonds based on trust and security with their adoptive parents, in their self-satisfaction and awareness of the progress they have made after adoption, and in their confidence and future aspirations. Finally, based on the interviews, we formulated recommendations for practice and social policies.