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Intercountry adoptive parent education

• Module 1 - Introduction
  • What is adoption?
  • Who is involved in the adoption process?
  • The adoption process
  • Adoption Services Queensland
  • Suggested reading
• Module 2 - The needs of overseas children requiring permanent adoptive placements in Queensland
  • Overseas country information
  • Are you suited to intercountry adoption?
  • Motivation to adopt
  • Issues and challenges faced by adoptive parents
  • Placement proposals
  • Building resilience with your adopted child
  • Suggested reading
• Module 3 - Child development
  • Understanding child development
  • Factors that impact on child development
  • A child's understanding of adoption
  • Suggested reading
• Module 4 - Attachment and bonding
  • Attachment theory
  • What is attachment and bonding?
  • Types of attachment
  • Attachment behaviour
  • Signs of healthy attachment and bonding
  • Attachment disorder
  • Impact of attachment on adoptive parenting
  • The arousal-relaxation cycle
  • Developing an attachment with your child
  • Suggested reading
• Module 5 - Separation, grief and loss
  • Definition of loss and grief
  • The impact of loss on adoptive parents
  • The impact of loss on adopted children
  • Effects and strategies for dealing with a child's loss
  • Understanding the impact of loss on an adopted child
  • The impact of loss on birth parents
  • The grief process
  • Suggested reading
• Module 6 - Identity and culture
  • Your feelings about ethnic background and culture
  • The impact of adoption on your family
  • Definition of ethnicity, culture and identity
  • Addressing cultural identity
  • The cultural heritage plan
  • Barriers to developing a child's cultural identity
  • A child's racial awareness
  • Stages of development of racial identity
  • Combating racism
  • Telling your child they are adopted
  • The adoptive family life cycle
  • Suggested reading
• Module 7 - Preparing for assessment
  • Departmental assessment considerations
  • Assessing a couple's suitability
  • Meeting the assessment criteria
  • The assessment process
  • Placement considerations
  • Assessors - their perspective
  • Establishing a family tree and Ecomap
  • Suggested reading
• Module 8 - Placement information
  • Medical assessment of children adopted from overseas
  • Lodging an application with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
  • Migration Health Check
  • Naming your child
  • Travel arrangements
  • Arrival in Australia
  • Queensland Birth Certificate
  • Australian Citizenship
  • Adoptive parent support groups
  • Life Story Book
  • Suggested reading
• Module 9 - General reading
• Family profile
  • My family profile
• Printable version
• Contacts

Motivation to adopt

The decision to consider adoption is a significant step. Adopting a child may be the most important decision you will ever make. It is a decision that will dramatically change your life.

• Understanding your motivation to adopt
• Activity 1 - Motivation to adopt

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Understanding your motivation to adopt

There are many reasons why couples consider adoption. It is important to understand your motivation for adoption and recognise that there may be some issues underlying your need to adopt a child that you may need to explore.

Consider the reasons why you want to adopt a child. Try to identify both positive and negative motivations for deciding to adopt a child.

Your motivation to adopt should not be to:

• improve an unhappy marital relationship - children add stress to a marriage and will not improve an unhappy marital situation
• please your partner - both of you need to agree on the decision to adopt, as children sense acceptance and rejection and react accordingly
• replace a lost child - children need to be wanted for themselves, they cannot replace another child or ease the pain of the loss of a child
• provide a companion for an 'only' child - children are not always companionable - your biological child could be disappointed and the adopted child will realise they have not measured up to expectations
• ease the pain of not being able to have your own child - you need to have adjusted to your infertility in order to be comfortable parenting a child who is not biologically your own
• conform to family and societal pressures - children should be wanted for themselves - you will have the responsibility of parenthood, so you must make your own decision.

You have a choice. Exercise this choice with knowledge and careful thought, and decide what is right for you.

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Last updated

19 October 2007