Defining the problem and sourcing the solution: a reflection on some of the organizational, professional and emotional complexities of accessing post-adoption support.
Authors
Harlow, ElizabethAffiliation
University of ChesterPublication Date
2018-05-16
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In the United Kingdom as elsewhere, children across the age range are now being adopted from care. Some of these children, by no means all, are expressing additional physical, emotional, behavioural and educational needs. In consequence, the government has introduced legislation and attendant policies aimed at providing adoptive families with support. In 2013 in the northwest of England, a specialist post-adoption support service was established, and an illuminative evaluation of its organization and provision was conducted. A key theme emerging from the qualitative data concerned the difficulties parents had encountered in accessing appropriate support prior to the creation of the service. These difficulties have been interpreted as: uncertainty in defining the problems encountered and knowing which agencies and professionals to approach; ambivalence about seeking help; professionals’ uncertainty in knowing how to respond; and the scarcity of resources. This paper illustrates these difficulties, then draws attention to some of the ways in which they are being addressed.Citation
Harlow, E. (2018). Defining the Problem and Sourcing the Solution: a Reflection on Some of the Organizational, Professional and Emotional Complexities of Accessing Post-adoption Support. Journal of Social Work Practice, 33(3), 269-80.Publisher
Taylor & FrancisJournal
Journal of Social Work PracticeAdditional Links
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2018.1460588Type
ArticleLanguage
enDescription
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Social Work Practice on 16/05/18, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2018.1460588Contact details for Elizabeth Harlow (co-author): e.harlow@chester.ac.uk
ISSN
0265-0533EISSN
1465-3885ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/02650533.2018.1460588
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/