Publikationen
Adoption from care in Germany
Bränzel, Paul
Adoption from care in Germany. A mixed-method study on the cooperation between services in the care planning process.
University of Minnesota Minneapolis "International Conference on Adoption Research (ICAR 8)." 11.07.2024
Adoption from care in Germany: a mixed-method study on the cooperation between services in the care planning process Bränzel, Paul; Kappler, Selina; Bovenschen, Ina Theoretical Background: Adoptions from foster care are rare in Germany, although adoption is legally required to be considered an option for children who cannot live permanently with their families. According to experts in the field, the reasons for the low numbers of adoptions from care in Germany mainly include the reluctance of the child's birth parents to give their consent and the reluctance of foster parents to adopt their foster child. However, reliable data on the reasons for the low numbers of children leaving foster care through adoption are still lacking. Thus, the proposed project aims to examine the role of adoption in permanency planning for children in long-term foster care, with a main focus on the cooperation between General Social Services, Foster Care Services, and Adoption Services. Method: First, based on an expert approach, we investigated the practice in foster care and adoption agencies that frequently address adoption as an option for foster children in long-term care. This primary approach involved focus groups at selected sites (n=6) with professionals from General Social Services, Foster Care Services, and Adoption Services. Data were assessed between March and July 2023. Second, we conducted a larger quantitative study with N= 300 social workers from all three services (each n= 100). Data assessment is currently ongoing. Results: The main focus of the analyses is on describing the current practices and obstacles when examining adoption as an option for a foster child who cannot return home to their birth family. The first results highlight that lacking guidelines and unclear responsibilities of the General Social Services and Foster Care Services seem to keep them from integrating Adoption Services in the permanency planning process. However, results also indicate that both the reluctance of the child's birth parents to give their consent and the reluctance of foster parents to adopt their foster child can explain why only a few children leave foster care through adoption. Still running analyses will expand the findings on best practice approaches in the care planning process and will also analyse the role of social workers’ attitudes toward adoption from care. Discussion: Our findings can lead to the identification of strategies to strengthen the role of adoption in permanency planning for children in out-of-home care who cannot return home. Specifically, the development of guidelines (e.g., including recommendations on the appropriate timing for adoption counselling) seems promising.
Adoption from care in Germany. A mixed-method study on the cooperation between services in the care planning process.
University of Minnesota Minneapolis "International Conference on Adoption Research (ICAR 8)." 11.07.2024
Adoption from care in Germany: a mixed-method study on the cooperation between services in the care planning process Bränzel, Paul; Kappler, Selina; Bovenschen, Ina Theoretical Background: Adoptions from foster care are rare in Germany, although adoption is legally required to be considered an option for children who cannot live permanently with their families. According to experts in the field, the reasons for the low numbers of adoptions from care in Germany mainly include the reluctance of the child's birth parents to give their consent and the reluctance of foster parents to adopt their foster child. However, reliable data on the reasons for the low numbers of children leaving foster care through adoption are still lacking. Thus, the proposed project aims to examine the role of adoption in permanency planning for children in long-term foster care, with a main focus on the cooperation between General Social Services, Foster Care Services, and Adoption Services. Method: First, based on an expert approach, we investigated the practice in foster care and adoption agencies that frequently address adoption as an option for foster children in long-term care. This primary approach involved focus groups at selected sites (n=6) with professionals from General Social Services, Foster Care Services, and Adoption Services. Data were assessed between March and July 2023. Second, we conducted a larger quantitative study with N= 300 social workers from all three services (each n= 100). Data assessment is currently ongoing. Results: The main focus of the analyses is on describing the current practices and obstacles when examining adoption as an option for a foster child who cannot return home to their birth family. The first results highlight that lacking guidelines and unclear responsibilities of the General Social Services and Foster Care Services seem to keep them from integrating Adoption Services in the permanency planning process. However, results also indicate that both the reluctance of the child's birth parents to give their consent and the reluctance of foster parents to adopt their foster child can explain why only a few children leave foster care through adoption. Still running analyses will expand the findings on best practice approaches in the care planning process and will also analyse the role of social workers’ attitudes toward adoption from care. Discussion: Our findings can lead to the identification of strategies to strengthen the role of adoption in permanency planning for children in out-of-home care who cannot return home. Specifically, the development of guidelines (e.g., including recommendations on the appropriate timing for adoption counselling) seems promising.