Improving early placement success for adopted children and their families.

Dr. Katherine Shelton, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, presented the initial findings from the Adoption Cohort Study

Successful adoptive placements are essential for the well-being of children and their families. Yet there remains an acknowledged lack of evidence regarding the factors that influence early-placement success. Research led by Wales Adoption Cohort Study team has addressed this knowledge gap and identified individual, family-based and structural factors associated with favourable outcomes in early adoptive family life, as well as factors that may obstruct or otherwise threaten placement stability. Dr Shelton’s lecture addressed how families have fared in the first 12 months post-placement as well as the type of support needed and provided, experiences of life story work and engagement with professionals. Information from the study has been used to make recommendations that address the continuing and complex issues faced by the Wales-wide National Adoption Service. The lecture was followed by questions and discussions with practitioners and policy makers about the implications of the findings for the provision of post placement and post-adoption support. The lecture can be found at http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/cascade/2016/05/25/cascade-annual-adoption-lecture/