Adoption Disruption

One of the most controversial topics on the subject of adoption is that of adoption disruption or dissolution. Hot feeling fuels the pros and cons of the argument. Some people think that it's best to disrupt an adoption as soon as there appears to be any kind of a problem, while others believe that disruption should only be an option in extreme cases.

Full Disclosure

The best scenario, of course, is when full disclosure is made to the prospective adoptive family and when the adoptive parents educate themselves on the challenges that may be encountered during the adoption process. In any event, at the core of any about-to-be disrupted adoption, the best interests of the child should be the primary concern of all involved.

There isn't much to guide parents on the brink of disrupting an adoption, which is a shame. Adoptions that might have been saved often fall apart because of the lack of support and advice for prospective parents. There is very little information on the topic for the general public. One can find disruption statistics, but there is no guide on how to go about setting the disruption into motion and following through.

No Literature

Perhaps the reason that no literature for laymen exists is due to the fact that adoption agencies don't wish to encourage this practice. Also, disruption implies a type of failure of the system or of the prospective parents. This subject can cause no small amount of outrage, no matter which party is deemed to be at fault. But people are resourceful and many private support groups have sprung up where parents can discuss solutions relating to disrupted adoptions.

Most adoptions, somewhere between 80%-90% are successful. But in a small number of cases a poor match is made between parent and child, or circumstance come up that make continuing with the adoption impossible. If the adoption process ends before it has been made legal, it's called a "disruption." When a judge is forced to overturn an adoption after it has been finalized, it is then called "dissolution." Sometimes the word "disruption" is used to describe both events, interchangeably.

As far as statistics go, the rate for disruption goes up per every year of age of the adoptee. It is quite rare for a newborn infant adoption to be disrupted, only 1%. Because age is such a central factor, the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse gives a very wide range in calculating the percentage of disrupted adoptions, at 3%-35%.

Family Support

But age isn't always an indication that an adoption is at risk. If a family has taken steps to prepare for the adoption of a 17 year old, for example, and the adoption agency provides full disclosure and support for the family, the adoption will succeed in spite of the advanced age of the adoptee. In general, disruptions occur when sound adoption practices are ignored.