The adoption of children from public care: a prospective study of outcome in adolescence
Researchers followed 108 UK children placed for adoption from care at ages five to eleven, with assessments at placement, one year and six years later. At adolescent follow-up, 23% of placements had disrupted; others continued with differing levels of difficulty. Older age at placement, longer time in care, behavioural difficulties and prior rejection while separated from siblings were associated with higher disruption risk.
Limitations: A historical cohort of later-placed children adopted from care. Observational predictors do not prove causation, and disruption rates do not represent all UK adoptions. Family and professional assessments do not substitute for adoptees’ own accounts.
- Research type
- Longitudinal comparative cohort study
- Source reviewed
- Abstract
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Age group
- Children / Adolescents
Study context and review
Age group as recorded: Children; adolescents
Adoption context: Adoption from care
Programme: Rushton–Dance adoption from public care cohort
Institutional context: No relationship identified in the material checked
No adoption-sector organisational relationship identified in the bibliographic material screened. This is not confirmation of institutional independence; affiliations, funding and conflicts were not comprehensively audited.
Bibliographic screening. Bibliographic relationships are not a bias or safety rating.
Topics: adoption disruption, behaviour, longitudinal, placement outcomes, siblings, UK research
Review scope: Source checked: Abstract. This does not imply full-text or independent human verification.
Country as recorded: United Kingdom
- Funding
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Commissioner
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Funder role
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Declared conflicts
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Recruitment
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Adoptee involvement
- Not yet checked for this entry
Entry: study_a01839a254f222f9