The long-term consequences of early adversity: Insights from adoption research.
Jesús Palacios – ICAR9 Opening Keynote
Research has highlighted the numerous benefits of adoption on the development and well-being of adopted individuals. However, the extent to which early adversity impacts long-term development, adjustment, and well-being remains debated. What better way to kick off ICAR9 than with a keynote address that explores this crucial topic? This keynote will set the stage for a conference rich in insights for adoption researchers and practitioners.
Birth family connections across the life course – lessons learned and future directions for policy and practice.
Beth Neil – ICAR9 Keynote
Openness in adoption is shaped by personal and interpersonal factors and broader social, policy and practice contexts. In England, most adoptions are of children from foster care, and professional uncertainty about how to maintain safe birth family connections has hampered moves towards openness. In this talk, the experience and impact of how members of the adoptive kinship network maintain (or don’t maintain) psychological connections, communications and relationships across time will be explored. Drawing on a program of practice development carried out in England, lessons on how to change entrenched views that support only very limited openness adoption will be outlined.