After Adoption:
The Need for Services

The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse factsheet "Adoption and the Stages of Development: What Parents Can Expect at Different Ages" discusses stages of child development in general and the adoption-related issues associated with each stage. The factsheet introduces the concept of postadoption services and explains that adopted children, as they grow and mature, sometimes need help resolving the sadness they feel about not growing up with their birth parents. Adopted children who were adopted when they were older, who were adopted after they experienced abuse or neglect, or who were adopted from another country may have other feelings and behaviors that sometimes become difficult for families to manage on their own.

Needing outside help after adoption is normal, and many adoptive families seek postadoption assistance. This factsheet will continue where "Stages" left off and discuss in more detail how adoptive families can get help if they need it. An appendix to the factsheet includes listings of (1) national organizations that provide postadoption services (2) national professional associations, (3) Federal Government adoption information sources, (4) current federally funded postadoption services grantees, and (5) sources for further reading.

Families can find help even if they live in a community with few mental health resources. Generally, there are four kinds of postadoption services available:

• Outpatient psychotherapy;
• Treatment away from home;
• Educational services; and
• Support groups.

The following sections discuss each of these services.

Outpatient Psychotherapy

Outpatient psychotherapy is probably the most common form of professional help that a family can use. Therapy can be provided by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker.

Finding a Therapist

It is important to locate a therapist who understands and is sensitive to the unique dynamics of the adoptive family and who will neither minimize nor overreact to the fact that a child has been adopted. If a child has spent time in the foster care system before being adopted, it may be helpful to find a therapist who is familiar with the typical development of a child who has gone through separation, loss, and rejection.

Adoptive families who have worked with therapists emphasize the importance of finding a therapist with adoption experience. Training of therapists usually does not include specific instruction about the unique dynamics of adoption. However, working with a therapist who knows about adoption often can make the therapy more productive.

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