Assessors - their perspective
Narelle Nelles
I am aware as I pack my brief case for my first visit with a prospective adoptive couple that they will be feeling very anxious about this visit, unsure of what to expect of me and unsure of how the next few interviews will go. They will most probably have spent all day tidying and cleaning their house for my arrival - quite unnecessary but most people still do it!
I also am feeling apprehensive as I reach their door knowing that the interviews that are to follow are highly significant to the couple and their future desire to create a family. The prospective adoptive couple seems relieved when we finally meet and they realise that I am not as daunting as they imagined an assessor would be.
Being aware that the couple will be discussing some very personal and emotional topics with me over the next few interviews, I begin by telling them a bit about myself, professionally as well as personally, hoping to help them feel comfortable about sharing their own personal information in the weeks that will follow.
We talk about the task we will be working on and the 'journey' we will need to take together so that we can be sure that children who are needing families are placed with the family that is right for them. I explain to them that because of this, I see my role as an agent for the child who is unable to make these decisions on their own. The prospective adoptive couple is clear that this is what they want also and their empathy for the children who are needing placements is evident by their understanding of the importance of the assessment process to ensure that the children are placed with the right family.
We talk about what will be required for the assessment, explain that it will not be a judging process or a question and answer session, and how we can work together as a team to ensure that they are at the right point in their life to offer a child a family. We discuss the importance of openness and honesty on both sides to gain the maximum advantage out of our time together. They agree that they too want to be sure that they are at a point in their life to offer a child a home and they are keen for my feedback as we discuss any areas that I may view as being of concern if they were to proceed with having a child placed in their family.
I advise the couple of the process for their assessment report and this gives them an idea of the topics we are required to cover in the coming interviews. I give them an understanding that while I must produce this report at the end of our sessions together this will not dictate the structure of the interviews. At the end of our discussions I hope to have enough information to complete the report. We also discuss the format of our future meetings.
Over the next few weeks, we begin in-depth discussions about how they came to be interested in adoption, who they are as individuals and as a couple, their financial situation and career prospects, as well as gauging their understanding of adoption and cultural issues. During the discussions, we always refer back to adoption and the placement of a child in their family. We highlight the strengths that they bring to adoption and also look at what can be done to improve any areas that may need further attention.
Most people have usually attended the Education Program and read copious amounts of literature on adoption as well as connected with a support group or attended other education workshops. Sometimes, we may identify specific areas that require further reading.
At the end of my interviews with the couple, we have come to know each other very well and on the last interview we have the opportunity to discuss what I will be writing in the report, my summary of their strengths as an adoptive parent and any areas that require attention.
While I have the arduous task of completing the lengthy report, I finish my interviews with prospective adoptive couples feeling privileged to be a small part of their family journey.
Margaret McDiarmid
I come to adoption assessments with an acute awareness that being assessed is a unique and emotionally demanding experience for prospective adoptive parents. Consequently, I view the pre-assessment interview as a way for the prospective adoptive parents to get to know me and the assessment process sufficiently, so that they can proceed more comfortably with the other interviews. As a result of the pre-assessment interview, I hope that couples will have some knowledge of what to expect from me as the person who will be speaking with them about very personal information, and what to expect from the format of the assessment.
Having read the couple's family profiles prior to the pre-assessment interview I try to provide guidance or recommendations about how to proceed with their assessment. For example, if it becomes clear that the prospective adoptive parents have not established contact with adoption support group communities, I encourage them to consider doing so. I also establish whether the couple has prepared a 'Life Story Book' for a child. It is not uncommon for prospective adoptive parents to have mixed feelings about undertaking this work and I encourage the couple to use the assessment period to complete their life story. Sometimes it is clear to me that the couple is not ready to proceed with the assessment.
If the prospective adoptive parents are ready to proceed with their assessment, I will organise a schedule of interviews with them so that there is a plan for the completion of the assessment. These schedules are flexible and wherever possible I try to fit in with the availability of the prospective adoptive parents.
The adoption assessment requires that all participants are equally involved. My role is to assess the couple's suitability as adoptive parents. I have not met any couples who do not think they are suited to adopting a child. As I learn of the special qualities of prospective adoptive parents during their assessment, there may sometimes be conflict between my assessment of the couple's desires and capacities, and the needs of children requiring adoption. The difficult part of my work is to clearly explain my analysis of why I do, or do not think that prospective adoptive parents are suited to adoption. This will always be an emotionally charged and vigorously contested aspect of the assessment work. I try to remember that adoption assessments result in life-changing and permanent decisions about children and therefore need to be undertaken with great care and honesty.
Claire Reading
It is the role of the assessor to provide an independent assessment of a couple wishing to adopt a child. The assessment is usually completed using a number of information sources including family profiles, a series of interviews with the couple (and if applicable, their children), and any other information which may be relevant to the couple such as reports from occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, grief counsellors and accountants.
The assessment is a combination of joint and individual interviews, the number of which may vary between couples depending on their family backgrounds and current situation. There are a number of different areas that need to be evaluated during the assessment process. Couples are generally informed of the areas that will be covered during the next interview to allow them to prepare their responses. In some instances, couples are given more time between interviews if they or the assessor believe that they are not sufficiently prepared.
The areas that are evaluated by the assessor during the assessment process include family background, stability of the marriage, fertility issues, financial situation, personal characteristics, motivation and preparation for adoption, lifestyle, parenting ability and capacity to assist the child to deal with adoptive issues. The Department of Child Safety requires that assessments are evidenced-based. Therefore, the assessor will be looking for examples to validate the information provided by the couple.
By the time a couple is ready to be assessed, they should be thoroughly prepared for informed discussions about the numerous areas of adoption. A good starting point is to attend the Education Program conducted by the Department of Child Safety as either face-to-face or online sessions. While these sessions are not compulsory, they provide an understanding of the role of adoptive parents and knowledge of adoption issues, both of which are required before proceeding to the assessment stage. These sessions also provide prospective adoptive couples with an information kit and a list of recommended readings to expand their knowledge.
It is important for prospective adoptive couples to prepare for adoptive parenting and to understand the difference in parenting a biological child and an adopted child. They need to be aware of the special circumstances in parenting a child from an overseas country, and be committed to providing support throughout the child's life. During the assessment interviews, discussions will take place about bonding and attaching with an adopted child, understanding the behaviour of a teenager who is adopted, exploring issues of grief, loss and separation and being aware of the significance of the birth family for an adopted child.
It is advantageous for prospective adoptive parents to be involved with an adoption support group of the particular country from which they wish to adopt. Couples may also establish contact with the International Adoptive Families of Queensland to learn of experiences of families who have previously adopted, to expand their knowledge about adoption issues and to establish a peer support group for both themselves as prospective adoptive parents and the child.
Establishing networks with the child's birth culture is also an important task of the adoptive parent to assist the child to enhance and maintain their cultural identity. This may involve gaining knowledge of the country (current affairs, politics, geographic, music, art and cooking), forming friendships with people of the same cultural background, attending significant cultural events and learning the language.
- Last updated
- 19 October 2007