| Today most Scientists & Adoption Agents are | | | | future adoptive parents. Once at an average |
| of the opinion that parents should inform | | | | age of 11 years and 11 months the adoptive |
| their adopted children as soon as possible | | | | children understood that the Agency first and |
| about their status. The issue should | | | | foremost acts on behalf and in the interest |
| thereafter be discussed more often at various | | | | of the well being of the children put up for |
| points in time to give the child/children a | | | | adoption, therefore screening the potential |
| chance to grasp their special status and the | | | | adoptive parents. |
| opportunity to ask questions. Only an early | | | | |
| introduction to the subject will give parents | | | | Brodzinsky and his colleagues research |
| and children a chance to develop an open and | | | | clearly shows that the understanding of an |
| trusting relationship between each other. | | | | adoptive child with reference to its adoption |
| | | | develops in predictable phases. In the |
| There are two sides to the process of | | | | beginning the knowledge is still very general |
| informing a child about it's adoptive status: | | | | and slightly diffuse but becomes more |
| First of all the information has to be passed | | | | sophisticated with time. This knowledge is |
| on to the child and secondly the child has to | | | | also associated with a growing awareness of |
| understand the information it has been given. | | | | the connection with social organisations and |
| | | | the relating laws. |
| It is more than likely that a 4 year old | | | | |
| child can be made to refer to itself as | | | | The research indicates how difficult it must |
| "adopted" and further tell that it has grown | | | | be for a child under the age of 13 or 14 to |
| in another woman's womb before being adopted | | | | process the fact of having a dual set of |
| by it's present parents. This however does | | | | parents. Younger children don't grasp this |
| not go to say that the child has understood | | | | concept at all, slightly older children find |
| what an adoption really means. More so it has | | | | it hard to fit the characteristics of |
| to be assumed that due to the child's use of | | | | adoptive parents into their idea of a family |
| very specific vocabulary related to the issue | | | | concept. Eight and nine year olds know that |
| of adoption the parents are lured into the | | | | parents and children are blood related. |
| false belief that their child fully | | | | Adoptive children of this particular age |
| understands the concept of adoption. By doing | | | | group therefore question which family they |
| so, the cognitive capability of a small child | | | | are really part of - their biological parents |
| is highly overestimated. | | | | or their adoptive parents. Bearing in mind |
| | | | that children of this age group (8-9 year |
| It takes approximately 10 years for an | | | | olds) have not yet understood the concept of |
| adopted child to fully grasp the information | | | | adoption including all its implications it is |
| about its adoption which they have been given | | | | not surprising that they feel insecure of |
| at the age of 3 or 4. This knowledge was the | | | | their position within the adoptive family and |
| result of the scientific research by | | | | voice a lot of questions regarding their |
| BRODZINSKY and his colleagues during the | | | | heritage. |
| "Rutgers Adoption Project" (1986). The | | | | |
| scientists examined 100 adopted children in | | | | During a further examination of 156 adopted |
| comparison to 100 non-adopted children. There | | | | children aged 6-11 years old Brodzinsky and |
| were 20 children in each age group: 4-5 years | | | | his colleagues (1986) found out that a |
| old, 6-7 years old, 8-9 years old, 10-11 | | | | child's comprehension of its adoption is |
| years old and 12-13 years old. All adoptive | | | | neither influenced by structure of the |
| children were adopted within the first 2 ½ | | | | adoptive family (only child, biological |
| years of their life. Their understanding of | | | | siblings, adopted siblings), their social |
| the adoption was evaluated on the basis of a | | | | status, the previous history of the child nor |
| 6 grade chart. | | | | its age or condition of health at the time of |
| | | | adoption. This means that the comprehension |
| Although the 4-5 year old children had all | | | | develops through an intra psychological |
| been informed about their adoption most of | | | | process by combining the newly received |
| them did not have any understanding of the | | | | information with other relevant knowledge of |
| meaning of an adoption (grade 0). At an | | | | family structure, social institutions, human |
| average age of 5 years and 6 months most | | | | motives, separation, loss, - etc. This |
| examined children either assumed that all | | | | Process is therefore imbedded in the overall |
| children in general were born to their | | | | cognitive development of the child. |
| biological parents or that adoption and | | | | |
| giving birth are the same (grade 1). At the | | | | The results of this research clearly show |
| age of 7 years and 2 months children could | | | | that parents and adoption agents generally |
| distinguish between adoption and birth. They | | | | expect the adoptive children to understand |
| viewed it as 2 different means of becoming a | | | | the process of an adoption too early. In |
| part of a family. The relationship between | | | | return they are surprised when primary school |
| the adoptive parents and the child was | | | | children ask a lot of questions regarding |
| described by the children to be a permanent | | | | their biological parents and their heritage, |
| one. However they could not articulate a | | | | the reasons for being put up for adoption as |
| reason for the permanence of this | | | | well as being insecure in terms of their |
| relationship other than voicing the | | | | adoptive parents love and sometimes show |
| assumption that "The child is now owned by | | | | signs of sadness and depression. Parents and |
| its adoptive parents" (grade 2). | | | | experts do not understand these behavioural |
| | | | patterns and often wrongly judge it as |
| At an average age of 8 years and 8 months the | | | | negative although it is quite normal, age |
| children were not so confident about the | | | | appropriate and probably inevitable. It is a |
| stability of the Parent-Child Relationship | | | | sign that the children are trying to achieve |
| anymore. They believed that their biological | | | | a better understanding of the adoption. In |
| parents would either claim them back one day | | | | order to do so they have to process the loss |
| or that their adoptive parents could also | | | | of their biological parents and the resulting |
| decide to give them away at some point in | | | | emotions (sadness) at this age. This is being |
| time (grade 3). At 10 years and 4 months of | | | | complicated by the lack of knowledge about |
| age the children were confident in the | | | | their biological parents. |
| lastingness of the relationship between | | | | |
| adoptive parents and child again. With | | | | Consequently it is vital that adoptive |
| regards to this newly found confidence they | | | | parents make themselves aware of the fact |
| even referred to professionals in a position | | | | that adopted children will comprehend the |
| of authority such as Judges, Lawyers & | | | | adoption with all its implications not until |
| Medical Doctors (grade 4). It was not until | | | | they have entered their second decade of |
| the average age of 12 years and 5 months that | | | | life. They (adoptive parents ) can help the |
| the adopted children understood that an | | | | child to achieve a positive and extensive |
| adoption on a legal basis of specific laws | | | | comprehension of the adoption by openly and |
| incorporated the transfer of parental rights | | | | honestly discussing the issue instead of |
| and duties from the biological parents to the | | | | avoiding it. It is equally important that |
| adoptive parents (Grade 5). | | | | they are also aware of the difference between |
| | | | adoptive families and biological families |
| The adopted children were aware of an | | | | further understanding the special status of |
| Adoption Agency being involved in their | | | | their own family. Primarily they should not |
| adoption at an average age of 8 years and 1 | | | | overstrain the child and confront it with |
| month but did not know the actual task of the | | | | unrealistic expectations but should give the |
| Agency. Approximately 10 months later they | | | | child the time it needs for the long lasting |
| understood that this organisation plays a | | | | cognitive development process which will |
| vital role in the process. In most cases the | | | | conclude in a full comprehension of the |
| first assumption was that the Agency's | | | | adoption. |
| purpose was to cater to the wishes of the | | | | |