Supporting Birth Parents Whose Children Have Been Adopted

by Joanne Alper (Editor), Sir Andrew McFarlane (Foreword by), John OBE (Foreword by)

Overview

This book aims to share information about the experiences of birth parents and those currently working therapeutically with them, with the hope of promoting greater understanding and improved service development.

With contributions from birth parents and professionals in the field, this book articulates the huge emotional challenges and pain faced by birth parents. Grounded in their experiences and drawing on the latest research, it outlines good practice for professionals, and puts forward a range of models for intervention, from very straightforward practical support through to therapeutic approaches and interventions.

Practical and compassionate, this book provides a deep understanding of birth parents and their support needs which will inform not only individual practice, but also encourages the development of more humane and effective support services.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784506384
Publisher:	Kingsley, Jessica Publishers
Publication date:	07/18/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	684 KB

About the Author

Joanne Alper is a Director and Co-Founder of Adoptionplus a pioneering therapeutic adoption agency. She is a qualified social worker and therapist.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dr John Simmonds OBE 9

Foreword: The Rt Hon Sir Andrew McFarlane 11

Acknowledgements Joanne Alper 13

Introduction Joanne Alper 15

Part I Evaluation of Therapeutic Support for Birth Parents (Hertfordshire University)

1 How Best to Support Birth Relatives: What the Experts Say Lizette Nolte Hannah Morgan Caoimhe Forbes 33

2 'Like a Light in the Dark': A Hertfordshire University Evaluation of the Adoptionplus Birth Relative Counselling Service Lizette Nolte Hannah Wright Hannah Morgan Caoimhe Forbes 48

Part II A Trauma-Informed and Relationship-Based Approach to Therapeutic Support for Birth Parents (Adoptionplus)

3 The Hole That is Left: The Pain of Losing Children to Adoption Carole Green 73

4 Engagement, Flexibility and Pre-counselling Joanne Alper Patricia Downing 85

5 Working with Birth Fathers Ian Orr-Campbell 98

6 'No Quick Fix': The Benefits of Longer Term Counselling for Birth Parents With Complex Histories of Trauma and Abuse: Carries Story Kim S. Golding Jane Gould 109

7 'Contact' from the Birth Parents' Perspective Carole Green 132

Part III A Group Work Model (After Adoption)

8 Breaking the Cycle: An Approach to Group Work with Birth Mothers Daljit Gill Bethany Lambert 151

Part IV Creating Space for Change: Supporting Women Who Have Experienced Recurrent Care Proceedings (Pause)

9 Taking a Pause: An Innovative Approach to Working with Women Who Have Experienced Multiple Removals of Children Sophie Humphreys Ellen Marks 169

Conclusion Karen Treisman 185

Contributors 196

Subject Index 201

Author Index 207

Editorial Reviews

The system has long failed to support birth parents who lose their children to adoption. This book highlights a range of practice and experiences that together powerfully show we can help birth parents to overcome their loss and to be better prepared to parent in the future.

Mark Owers

Adoption can be the step that breaks a generations-long cycle of family dysfunction. Birth parents are all too often living with the consequences of the same early childhood trauma that adoptive parents recognise in their children, and unlike them, may never had access to a safe, stable and loving home. This book is an important contribution to the debate around extending our growing understanding of the importance of therapeutic support to everyone involved in adoption. It belongs on the desk of everyone involved in policy and practice for vulnerable families.

Dr Sue Armstrong Brown

Understanding the needs of birth parents and what works in providing them with the support and help to change is a moral imperative; but it can also deliver improved outcomes for them, their families and the children who have been removed from their care. So there is a good 'business case' too. This book is a collection of findings which makes a major contribution to this better understanding.

A key component of the Adoption & Special Guardianship Leadership Board's 'modernising permanence' programme is to develop practice which helps adopted children and children subject to other 'permanence' orders better understand their origins and their past. The findings described in this book have a significant part to play in the development of that thinking.

Andrew Christie

This book opens our eyes to the lifetime impact of adoption on birth families. It is also a powerful testament of the huge benefits to children when birth relatives are supported to play an appropriate role in their lives, giving children confidence in who they are and adding to the security provided by their adoptive family. Everyone wanting to build a better future for children should read this book.

Maggie Jones

The needs of birth parents whose children have been adopted have not been sufficiently prioritised. This book shows powerfully why and how that matters for birth parents, for their children and for society. It does so in an engaging, rigorous, and balanced way that illustrates what can and is being done. Most importantly, it does so with humanity.

Teresa Williams

Adoption has changed, is changing and will continue to change. 'Supporting Birth Parents whose Children have been Adopted' really puts emphasis on adoption being a life long experience. It helpfully opens your mind to how it can be improved and done differently, and how working with birth families in a meaningful way can lead to a positive change. In an ideal world we would have no need for adoption, but we do not live in an ideal world, so we must concentrate on joining up the corners and multiple layers for everyone affected by adoption. This book provides a number of strategies to achieve that and should be referenced to all adults (including those thinking about adopting or working in adoption), so that we understand that one size can not and will not fit all.

Scott Casson-Rennie

This book specifically focuses on the therapeutic needs of birth parents, whose children are adopted. The words of the mothers and fathers quoted in the book are haunting and help shine a light on the experiences of parents, whose children are permanently removed from them, and who for too long have been disregarded, shamed, ignored or vilified. The perspectives and voices of these birth parents is essential in understanding their need for therapeutic support and in shaping the nature of such support.

Cathy Ashley