The literature consistently reports a lack of support for birth mothers following their child being taken into care or adopted (Logan, 1996; Schofield, 2009; Schofield, 2010). This is despite consistent evidence of the long-term consequences that the removal of children has upon their mental health (Condon, 1986; Wells, 1993; Logan, 1996). O’Leary-Wiley & Baden (2005) write, ‘Birth parents are the least studied, understood, and served members of the adoption triad.’ The aim of the study was to explore: the experience of separation, sense of identity following separation, experience of contact and experience of support through the process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mothers who were recruited from birth mother support groups. The transcripts of the interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four main themes emerged across the participants’ accounts: ‘No one in my corner’, ‘Disconnecting from emotion’, ‘Renegotiating identity’ and ‘The children are gone, but still here’. The findings contribute to our understanding of the experiences of birth mothers and are discussed within a range of psychological theories. Implications for clinical psychology are considered.

This thesis explores the experiences that birth mothers face in adoption proceedings within a socio-legal context. With analysis of data from interviews with 32 birth mothers synthesised with the relevant provisions of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, it is argued that ingrained unfairness and a lack of accountability exists in the legal and administrative system where birth mothers' rights are concerned. The requirement for fairness in adoption practice is an underlying principle of jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights, with emphasis on the right to family life under Article 8 of the Convention. Analysis extends to the social problems of blame and stigmatizing of birth mothers which originates from those agencies involved in the adoptions. It highlights the perspectives and voices of birth mothers, who are seldom the focus in leading discourses of professional practice in this area. This research moves some way towards equalising this disparity by acknowledging their experiences and arguing that what they have to say should be noted by professionals involved in adoption practice. The findings demonstrate the interrelationship between birth mothers and the law, with critical examination of the results in relation to previous research and jurisprudence from the family courts. This is work by a researcher with 'insider status' of one who shares the 'birth mother' identity with the participants. In order to validate the study, the research methodology is underpinned with reflexivity which demands that the researcher examines her own feelings, reactions, and motives and how this influences the analysis and the findings. This approach lessens the risk of bias and authenticates research by ensuring transparency. The original contribution to knowledge required for a doctoral thesis is the socio-legal approach to the methodology, the primary data generated from interviews with birth mothers and the subsequent findings which demonstrate the inconsistency between the law and their experiences of adoption practice.

Situated within the historiography of transnational child adoption, this dissertation explores the history of transnational child adoption from Vietnam by Americans in the Vietnam War. This story of Vietnamese adoption begins with comparing and contrasting representations of American and Vietnamese parenthood during the War. While American servicemen and women were highly praised for their humanitarianism in Vietnam and portrayed as good mothers and fathers to Vietnamese children, Vietnamese women were depicted as prostitutes, bar girls, and potential enemies in American public memory. This dissertation argues that the sexualized representation of Vietnamese women and the focus on American humanitarianism provided justifications for the transnational adoption of Vietnamese children but concealed the violence of the War that led to the displacement of Vietnamese children in the very beginning. It also shows how racial and religious relations in the U.S. complicated the picture of Vietnamese adoption. African American civil rights movement at home motivated black social workers to fight for the rights of black families to adopt black children domestically and transnationally. Meanwhile, American adoptive parents were subject to the scrutiny of Catholic orphanage directors in Vietnam and American social workers who tried to uphold religious matching in adoption. Finally, this dissertation ends with exploring controversies around Operation Babylift, a US government-sponsored evacuation of Vietnamese “orphans” to the US. Labeled as a humanitarian operation, the Babylift invoked criticism over its morality as more than 130 children were killed by an airplane crash and hundreds of children ended up being illegally brought to the US for adoption.

This study was concerned with exploring the meaning birth relatives gave their experiences of counselling following the removal of their children from their care. An exploratory research question was formulated and addressed using a qualitative approach. The involvement of a service user as expert supervisor added an important element and certain validity to the design, analysis and findings. Interviews took place with five birth mothers who had received counselling from one birth relatives counselling service. Three master themes were constructed from the data: From feeling alone, judged and let down to feeling part of a special relationship; "The healing process"; and "My children are my world".

Depuis quelques années, l’adoption internationale a pris une importance croissante dans le monde, particulièrement en Haïti. Chaque année, plusieurs centaines d’enfants quittent Haïti pour l’étranger par ce biais. Depuis les années 1990, le nombre d’adoptions ne cesse d’augmenter. Pourtant, la majorité de ces enfants ne sont ni orphelins, ni abandonnés : ce sont les familles d’origine qui amènent leurs enfants aux crèches (orphelinats). De ce fait, il est d’une importance capitale d’avoir les points de vue des familles qui ont vécu cette expérience pour comprendre les raisons qui les poussent à faire un tel choix. L’objectif principal de cette recherche est de mieux comprendre l’expérience vécue par les mères haïtiennes vivant à Port-au-Prince ayant donné leur enfant en adoption internationale. De façon plus spécifique, il s’agit de comprendre les attentes et les motivations des mères face au projet d’adoption, le sens qu’elles donnent à ce projet et la manière dont elles ont vécu cette séparation. Pour ce faire, 15 entrevues semi-dirigées ont été réalisées avec des mères ayant donné leurs enfants en adoption. Les résultats de cette étude nous ont permis de comprendre que les raisons qui poussent les mères à abandonner leur enfant en adoption sont multiples et complexes. Les problèmes de santé, de logement, d’emploi, l’absence du père, etc., sont autant de raisons avancées par les mères. Pour ces dernières, l’adoption peut être considérée comme une aide à l’enfance, une façon de sauver l’enfant de la misère ou une solution de sauvetage. Par ailleurs, au moment de confier leurs enfants en adoption, les mères ont signé des documents, mais elles semblent ne pas en connaître les contenus. De plus, le manque d’information sur le devenir de l’enfant et le regard de la société poussent les mères à éprouver des regrets, de la tristesse, de la honte, des craintes, des peurs, etc. Les mères développent également certaines stratégies pour forcer les responsables des crèches ou de l’Institut du bien-être social et de recherches (IBESR) à les informer sur l’évolution de leurs enfants. Outre le retour de l’enfant à sa majorité, les mères ont des attentes matérielles et économiques par rapport à l’enfant, aux responsables des crèches et aux familles adoptives. / In recent years, international adoption has become increasingly important worldwide, especially in Haiti. Each year, hundreds of children leave Haiti after being adopted. Since the 1990s, the number of adoptions is increasing. Yet, the majority of these children are not orphans or abandoned: these are the original families who bring their children to nurseries (orphanages). Therefore, it is of paramount to have the views of families who have lived this experience to understand the reasons that lead them to make such an important choice. The main objective of this research is to better understand the experience of Haitian mothers living in Port-au-Prince who have given their children for international adoption. More specifically, it is to understand the expectations and motivations of mothers facing the proposed adoption, the meaning they give to this project and how they lived this separation. To do this, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers who gave their children up for adoption. The results of this study allowed us to understand the reasons why mothers give their children for adoption are varied and complex (problems of health, housing, employment, father absence, etc.). For the latter, the adoption may be considered as child welfare, a way to save the child from poverty or as a rescue solution. Moreover, when entrusting their children for adoption, mothers signed documents, of which they do not seem to know the contents. In addition, the lack of information on the future of the child and the pressure of society inducing mothers to feel regret, sadness, shame, fears, etc. Mothers also develop strategies to force orphanages or the Institute of Welfare and Research (IBESR) to inform them about the progress of their children. Besides the return of the child, the majority of mothers have physical and economic expectations for the child, the heads of orphanages and adoptive families. / Depi kèk ane adopsyon entènasyonal pa sispann kouri ak tout boulin nan lemonn patikilyèman nan peyi dAyiti. Chak ane genyen plizyè santèn timoun ki rive kite peyi dAyiti gras ak adopsyon entènasyonal. Fenomèn sa a ap vale teren nan peyi a depi nan ane katrevendis yo. Men majorite timoun yo pa ni ofelen ni abandone. Kidonk se paran yo menm ki mennen timoun yo nan krèch yo. Nan sans sa a li ta bon pou nou brase lide ak fanmi yo pou nou kapab rive konnen ki rezon ki pouse yo bay pitit yo nan adopsyon. Objektif etid sa a se rive konprann kijan manman k ap viv Pòtoprens ki bay timoun nan adopsyon viv eksperyans lan. Pou nou pi klè etid la ap chache konnen 1) ki atant ak motivasyon manman yo aprè yo fin bay pitit yo nan adopsyon 2) Ki siyifikasyon manman yo bay adopsyon an 3) kòman yo viv separasyon ak pitit yo. Nan sans sa a, nou te fè kenz entèvyou ak kenz manman ki te bay pitit yo nan adopsyon. Nan entèvyou manman yo te bannou, nou rive jwenn genyen anpil rezon ki fè yo bay pitit yo nan adopsyon. Pwoblèm lasante, kay, chomaj, papa ki kouri kite pitit nan manman yo elatriye se ansanm rezon sa yo patisipan yo bay. Pou manman yo lè yon moun bay yon timoun nan adopsyon se lavi l li sove, se nan malsite li retire timoun nan, se sèl chwa yon manman genyen. Lòt bagay etid sa a fè nou rive konprann se vre manman yo siyen kèk papye nan moman y ap bay pitit yo nan adopsyon men yo pa fin konprann sa yo siyen an. Nan sans sa a, enfòmasyon yo pa jwenn lè pitit yo fin pati kite peyi a ak jan sosyete a gade yo boulevèse manman yo anpil. Yo santi yo regrèt, tris, wont, epi yo pè tou pou timoun yo pa viktim move zak, eksplwatasyon elatriye., nan men fanmi adoptiv yo. Se pou tèt sa yo mobilize pou yo jwenn nouvèl pitit yo. Boutofen non selman y ap tann pitit yo retounen vin viv ak yo jan sa te ye men y ap tann tou kichòy nan men responsab krèch yo, fanmi adoptiv ak nan men pitit yo. Selon diskou manman yo, ta sanble atant sa yo makonnen ak yon bann pwomès kèk responsab krèch te fè yo avan adopsyon pitit yo.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Birth mothers of open adoption are not well studied. This inquiry explored birth mothers’ experiences surrounding unintended pregnancy and infant open adoption placement. The focused objective was to describe adolescent birth mothers’ lives following pregnancy and adoption placement. This qualitative study used naturalistic inquiry, with participants giving 1 to 2 hour tape recorded telephone interviews. Verbatim transcripts were de-identified and systematically analyzed. Birth mother samples were at either 1 to 5 years or 5 to 15 years after infant open adoption placement. Overall both samples chronicled stories from preconception through current life. Birth mothers of both samples were unanimous in their support of open adoption. The sample of 10 birth mothers who were interviewed 1 to 5 years postplacement shared life descriptions from prepregnancy; pregnancy with the decision for open adoption placement and choice of adoptive family; birth in context with the adoptive parents and birth child; postpartum and discharge. Postplacing birth mother findings were presented using the acronym AFRESH: A–adoption accomplishments; F–fresh start; R–relationships; E–emotions; S–support; H–healing. Personal, social, and relational benefits of open adoption far outweighed pregnancy, birth, and emotional challenges. Even though the process and outcome were “hard,” and included personal obstacles, the open adoption placement was “best.” Birth children were viewed as thriving, blossoming, and having a wonderful life. Adoptive families were cherished like those of extended family. Birth mothers thought health care providers should share the option, and then provide adoption friendly care. They also would advise pregnant teens to choose open adoption. Results from the 5 to 15 years postplacement sample of 5 birth mothers yielded themes of (1) satisfaction about decision for open adoption, choice of adoptive couple, and seeing a thriving birth child; (2) personal milestone accomplishments in education, finances, work, life, and relationships; (3) a sustaining sense of being a better person with an improved life; and (4) the essential need for support during and after the process.

No description available.