Attachment issues and adoption

The following article in the Guardian reveals how complicated adoptions can be with children being let down, ending up in the care system again, and adoptive parents feeling they were out of their depth and abandoned by social services. It is not always recognised that attachment issues arise when children are removed from their families and bounced from one placement to another, or that attachment issues can actually go both ways.

The table shows some of the issues which cause reactive attachment disorders:

Separation of a child and attachment figure due to adoption Death of a parent Hospitalization of a child or caregiver Frequent moves/multiple changes in caregiver Emotionally unavailable caregiver due to immaturity or mental or physical illness Abuse and/or neglect of the child Inconsolable chronic pain Parental drug use/alcohol abuse Birth/adoption of subsequent siblings Peachtree Attachment Resources

Younger children removed from their parent(s) are at greater risk as they and their siblings are frequently placed in a multitude of foster homes before they are considered for adoption thus creating a downhill spiral.  Attachment Parenting International

Are forced adoptions for such lightweight problems as `potential emotional harm` really the best we can do for young children which means separating them forever from their families? The strength of family ties cannot be underestimated.

The testimonials on Birthlink reveal how important it is to regain these ties even after sixty years for some people.

Also see this Express article 3 brothers united