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Emotional difficulties in early adolescence following severe early deprivation: findings from the English and Romanian adoptees study
2008 · United Kingdom; Romania (origin)
This follow-up compared emotional and conduct difficulties at ages six and eleven among Romanian-born adoptees and UK domestic adoptees. Emotional difficulties increased in the Romanian group and were more common at eleven than among domestic adoptees; conduct problems did not show the same increase. Earlier neurodevelopmental difficulties were associated with later emotional problems but did not fully account for their emergence.
Enhancing Adoptive Parenting: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
2011 · United Kingdom
This economic analysis used the Enhancing Adoptive Parenting trial to compare home-based parenting programmes with usual services. The intervention groups included nineteen families and the comparison group eighteen. Costs and adopter-reported outcomes were assessed through six months. The authors concluded that the programmes might be cost-effective for improving parenting satisfaction, but did not demonstrate reductions in children’s behavioural problems.
Enhancing adoptive parenting: a randomized controlled trial
2010 · United Kingdom
A UK randomised trial compared two home-based parenting programmes with usual services for adoptive families whose children, aged three to eight, had serious behavioural difficulties early in placement. Adopter interviews and questionnaires were collected before and after intervention and at six months. Intervention families reported greater satisfaction with parenting and fewer negative parenting approaches, but the trial found no significant reduction in child problems compared with usual services.
Enhancing Adoptive Parenting: A Test of Effectiveness
2009 · England
This research book examines whether individual parenting advice, added to routine adoption support, changes outcomes for adopted children with behavioural difficulties. It describes the intervention programmes and their comparison with routine services. Detailed outcome findings are not summarised because the underlying book was not reviewed.
Epigenomic Approaches to Neuropsychiatric Health and Disease Across the Life-course
2017 · United Kingdom
The adoptee component examined epigenetic associations with early institutional deprivation in Romanian adoptees. A DNA methylation region linked to CYP2E1 was associated with deprivation and socio-cognitive abilities. Other thesis components examined twins and neurodegenerative disease and are not adoptee findings.
Estimating effects of parents' cognitive and non-cognitive skills on offspring education using polygenic scores
2022 · United Kingdom / Netherlands
Researchers compared sibling, adoption and parent–offspring genetic designs across UK and Dutch cohorts to examine education. The adoption analysis included 6,407 adoptees. Across designs, indirect parental genetic associations accounted for part of the overall education association, but estimates were lower in the adoption design. The authors considered prenatal effects and population structure as possible explanations for differences.
Evaluation of an attachment theory based parenting programme for adoptive parents and foster carers
2011 · United Kingdom
An attachment-based parenting programme was evaluated with 25 adoptive parents and foster carers in two groups, one initially waiting six months. Assessments included children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties, relational security and placement stability. The abstract reports no improvement in the measured child variables, although some parent measures improved.
Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: final report
2022 · England
The final wave combined professional interviews, agency surveys and national administrative data. Difference-in-differences analysis of pre-pandemic placement records estimated a 14-day shorter interval from placement order to placement in operational regional agencies. There was no statistically significant change in the overall interval from entry to care to adoption order.
Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: first report, 2018 to 2019
2019 · England
This first annual evaluation combined regional-agency case studies, administrative performance data and cost analysis. Baseline data showed variation in children’s placement times between and within regions. Professionals in established agencies described shared knowledge, adopter pools and collaboration as influencing matching.
Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: inception and scoping report
2018 · England
Baseline visits to 23 regional adoption agencies included interviews with 124 people, alongside further agency and national stakeholder interviews. The scoping study examined organisation and implementation of England’s regional reforms. Participants described challenges in sharing systems, agreeing resources and maintaining adoption practice during restructuring.
Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: second report, 2019 to 2020
2020 · England
The second annual evaluation combined repeat agency case studies with administrative data and cost analysis. A matched-comparison analysis estimated a 14-day shorter interval from placement order to placement for children in operational regional agencies, and a 35-day shorter interval for children classified as harder to place.
Evaluation of the Adoption Support Fund: baseline survey of families
2021 · England
Before funded therapeutic support began, 1,008 parents and special guardians completed an online questionnaire, including 899 adoptive parents. Parent/carer SDQ and Child Behaviour Checklist ratings described higher child emotional and behavioural difficulties than reference populations. This record covers measured child needs rather than parents’ own wellbeing or service experience.
Evaluation of the Adoption Support Fund: first follow up survey of parents and carers
2022 · England
The second survey wave followed 783 of 1,008 parents and special guardians after funded support ended, or twelve months after it started. Parent/carer child assessments showed reduced average SDQ difficulties. Child Behaviour Checklist changes varied by age and sex; preschool scores did not show statistically significant improvement.
Evaluation of the Adoption Support Fund: second follow up survey of parents and carers
2022 · England
At the final survey, six months after the preceding wave, 681 parents and carers responded: 68% of the baseline cohort. Ninety per cent concerned adopted children. Parent/carer child assessments indicated that some school-age improvements, particularly among boys, were maintained or extended. Preschool CBCL scores did not show statistically significant improvement.
Evidence-based practice in relation to post-adoption support in educational settings
2019 · International evidence; England education-policy context
A systematic review examined 11 studies of support for adopted children in education. It grouped reported aspects of support into strategies, shared understanding, communication and monitoring. The authors described a small literature with methodological limitations.
Examining rates and risk factors for post-order adoption disruption in England and Wales through survival analyses
2017 · England and Wales
Researchers analysed national administrative adoption data, supplemented by surveys of adoption managers, covering 36,749 adoptions in England and 2,317 in Wales. Survival analyses estimated cumulative post-order disruption at 3.2% and 2.6% respectively. Older placement age, adolescence, multiple previous care placements and longer time to an adoption order were associated with disruption.
Examining the feasibility of an economic analysis of dyadic developmental psychotherapy for children with maltreatment associated psychiatric problems in the United Kingdom
2014 · United Kingdom
Researchers combined literature review, interviews with 13 therapists at eight UK sites and questionnaires to develop models for costing Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and alternative services. They found variation in delivery and gaps in outcome measures needed for a cost-effectiveness study, including child quality of life.
Exploring links between early adversities and later outcomes for children adopted from care: Implications for planning post adoption support
2020 · England
An online survey of 319 adoptive parents in England examined links between children’s earlier adversities and later outcomes. Statistical models associated poorer outcomes with several factors, including maltreatment, prenatal substance exposure, longer periods in care, multiple foster placements and distress around the move to adoption. The study considered implications for planning support.
Exploring the attachment-related representational and emotional trajectory from late adoption to early adulthood: A longitudinal qualitative study
2026 · United Kingdom
A longitudinal qualitative study followed three women adopted later in childhood into early adulthood, using childhood story-stem narratives and later attachment interviews. The analysis described increasing emotional elaboration, conflictual parent representations followed by repair, tensions between dependence and independence, and appreciation of childhood experiences.
Exploring the educational experiences of children and young people adopted from care: Using the voices of children and parents to inform practice
2021 · England
Researchers interviewed 11 secondary-school-aged adoptees and held a focus group with six adopters about school. Themes described emotional struggles, social disconnection, unsupportive school environments, helpful relationships and prejudice or misunderstanding. Findings were then discussed with 20 designated teachers, whose responses concerned awareness, relationships and emotional support.