Chance4Change Evaluation : Supporting birth mothers after adoption

Welch, Victoria and Gadda, Andressa and Jones, Christine and Young, Emma and Lerpiniere, Jennifer (2015) Chance4Change Evaluation : Supporting birth mothers after adoption. CELCIS, Glasgow.

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Abstract

There has been little academic attention given to the experiences and support needs of birth parents who have had children permanently removed from their care (Sellick 2007). Studies that have focused on the needs of these birth parents indicate that they are in a situation of loss and vulnerability (Neil 2006; Broadhurst et al. 2015; Broadhurst & Mason 2013). They will be coping with a range of emotional, social and practical issues associated with their child entering care, as well as dealing with the issues that brought them to this point in their lives (Neil 2006). Most will have experienced a high level of scrutiny and input from chi ldren’s services before and during care proceedings, but once children are permanently removed from their birth families, services may be withdrawn ‘leaving women to deal with the anguish of losing children without the requisite help’ (Broadhurst et al. 2015, p.91). Dealing with such feelings is even mo re difficult because of family circumstances that are often characterised by socio-economic deprivation, physical and mental ill-health , substance abuse, and learning disabilities.