Motivations to Adopt: Perspectives From Young Adult Adoptees and Adoptive Parents-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Motivations to Adopt: Perspectives From Young Adult Adoptees and Adoptive Parents

Published:2024-07-27 Issue: Volume: Page:
ISSN:1044-3894
Container-title:Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services
language:en
Short-container-title:Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services

Author:

Rolock Nancy¹^ORCID,Jeon Jeesoo²^ORCID,White Kevin R.³^ORCID,Gillani Braveheart²,Ringeisen Heather⁴,Domanico Rose⁵,Koh Eun⁶^ORCID,Bai Rong⁷,Wood Zoë Breen⁸

Affiliation:

1. PhD, AM, Henry L. Zucker associate professor, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

2. MSW, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

3. PhD, MSW, associate professor, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

4. PhD, vice president, Research Triangle Institute International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

5. MA, research survey scientist, Research Triangle Institute International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

6. PhD, MSW, associate professor and director, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA

7. PhD, MSSA, assistant professor, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

8. PhD, MSW, associate professor, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

Abstract

This study explored parental motivations to adopt and associations between motivations and family well-being. Multivariate OLS regression was used to examine responses from Young Adult Adoptee ( n = 206; average 24 years old) and Adoptive Parent ( n = 295) samples. When adoptees perceived that their parents were motivated by love for them, or helping a child in need, they reported higher levels of family functioning. Adoptive parents who endorsed the motivation that the child was already part of the family reported lower family functioning. While the motivation of loving the child was endorsed universally by both groups, the other motivations were less consistent. Open discussions about adoption, from the motivation to adopt through current family functioning, are important conversations for adoptive families.

Funder

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Link

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10443894241242821

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2. Process of adoption communication openness in adoptive families: adopters’ perspective