Adjustment of Adopted Children

Abstract

Adoption in Michigan The history of adoption is inextricably bound up with religious organizations. In the past it was only these institutions which took upon themselves the responsibility and care of orphans and "foundlings." As time went on, the civil agencies in the states looked upon this growing problem as a condition for which they too should accept responsibility. State operated organizations thus came into existence later than private adoption agencies, and laws were passed stipulating minimum requirements for eligibility of adoptive parents. These minimum requirements vary to some extent among the different states but they all have one fact or in common: their purpose for existing is to insure the greatest possible protection and opportunity for t he adopted child. Legal adoption in the state of Michigan may be accomplished in either of two ways: by public or private agencies, both of which function through the court or County Agent's Office. In this state, the agency effecting the largest number of adoptions at this time is the State operated Michigan Children’s Aid Society. The organization through which the second largest group of infants and children are adopted is the Catholic Social Services of Wayne County, a private agency. Other adoption facilities in the Detroit area are Detroit Children's Aid, Florence Crittenton Hospital, and Methodist Children's Village. Although Michigan laws stipulate minimum requirements to be met in adoptions, private and public agencies strive to raise their own standards well above these to insure consistently high values in the criteria for eligible parents and children in the adoption plan. The Agency Private agencies such as Catholic Social Services of Wayne County is keenly mindful of the necessity of maintaining high standards in the field of adoption. This agency, because of its philosophy, follows rigorous principles with regard to the rights of t he hum an individual and the duty of active charity imposed upon the Church. In one article, Msgr. Cooke states: "The objective, therefore, of our Catholic program of child care is the protection and fostering of the spiritual and moral welfare of every child in the United States who lives outside his or her own home." For this reason this agency frequently evaluates its own standards to insure a high level of performance and has deemed it fitting to foster this present study . Catholic Social Services is an individual organization under the auspices of the Council of Catholic Social Agencies, and Catholic Charities of the archdiocese of Detroit. It has a staff of about one hundred personnel; and its services, besides adoptions, include family counseling, marital counseling, help with individual personality problems, foster-home placement, service to unwed mothers, and a family counseling training program for parish priests. It is supported by United Community Services. The professional staff of the adoption department consists of two supervisors, six infant adoption workers, one caseworker for placement of older children, and one foreign program caseworker engaged in resettlement of immigrants in Wayne County. This department also has access to various auxiliary services, including those of a psychologist and a pediatrician . Its size has steadily increased since June, 1952, when it separated from Providence Hospital Social Service Department and assumed full responsibility for adoptions and services to unwed mothers. In January, 1957, the merger of the Catholic Family Center and Society of St. Vincent De Paul created the presently known agency of Catholic Social Services of Wayne County. Adoptions through this agency have rapidly multiplied during these years. Agency records indicate that 231 children were placed in adoption during the year 1958. The Problem This investigation concerns the adjustment of children who have been placed in adoption through the agency during the period between birth and six months of age and who have been living with the adoptive parents for approximately six years. A follow-up study of this type must necessarily be discreet and render all identifying data confidential for protection of individuals concerned. The maximum age of six months at time of placement of the children was selected to furnish a sufficient number of experimental subjects yet curtailing the amount of influence of the infants' environments before placement with adoptive families could be made. To ascertain the adjustment of the experimental subjects, a control group was necessary for comparison of results. This group consisted of children living in the homes of their natural parents. One of three possible conclusions may be derived from this study. Results may indicate that: (1), adjustment of the adopted children is inferior to that of the children in the control group, who live with their natural parents; (2), there is no significant adjustmental difference in the two groups; or (3), the adjustment of the adopted children is superior to that of the children in the control group. Hypothesis The hypothesis is": there is no significant difference in the adjustment of children adopted through Catholic Social Services in 1952 and 1953, and adjustment of comparable children living with their natural parents. In this hypothesis, the years of placement are indicated because there has been modification of the placement procedures during the subsequent years. "Comparable children" refers to those children in the control group who were matched with the adopted children on the bases of sex , age, parental occupation, and I .Q. This agency hopes to find out whether or not the selection of adoptive parents by means of the criteria used at the time these children were placed fulfilled the needs of the children effectively. The children to be studied are, at this time, largely in the first grade of school -- a fact which, in itself, tends to complicate the securing of accurate information on behavior or general adjustment. This period of a child's life is one of stress and should be avoided when studying personality or intellectual factors. Other periods of stress within the process of maturation are the period of negativism between eighteen and thirty months and the preadolescent growth period. Rationale This investigation is designed to determine whether or not the methods used to "match" the adopted children with the present adoptive parents were sound methods and succeeded in fulfilling the needs of the children. This is important to know. If the adoptions have not accomplished their purpose adequately, then the responsible institution would require a further inquiry to determine what is lacking in the adoption procedure.