A systematic review of the school performance and behavioural and emotional adjustments of children adopted from care

Abstract

Education performance for children adopted from care is worthy of serious, comprehensive and robust investigation. While there is a legal duty on local authorities in England and Wales to collate and monitor the academic achievement and attainment of looked after children, adopted children’s educational progress is not specifically scrutinised. This systematic review addresses a gap in knowledge regarding behavioural and emotional outcomes and academic attainment of school-age children who have been adopted from care. A total of 15 published articles were selected for review, based on a stringent set of inclusion criteria. With one exception, adoption was associated with lower academic attainment and elevated levels of behavioural problems across childhood, adolescence and emerging adulthood compared with non-adopted comparison groups. Collectively, the findings suggest that the school performance of adopted children should be routinely monitored. The findings also point to a need to recognise the potential challenges faced by children adopted from care by working with families, schools, practitioners and researchers to identify the means by which children can achieve the best possible outcomes.