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Fostering across the Globe: The World of Foster Care: An International Sourcebook on Foster Care Family Systems

Standards and Development Officer (Children and Famllies) with Durham Social Services Department similar research study. The remaining chapters focus on the findings and detail the experience of contact from the perspectives of adopted children and young people, birth parents and adoptive parents. The young people were experiencing a varied degree of contact with their birth parent: for half it was significant and for the other half, less significant. However, whatever their current level of contact, they all conveyed that it had been beneficial in some way, their comments illustrating the range of functions contact can fulfil: increasing a young person's knowledge and understanding about her/ his personal and family history; lessening anxiety about the circumstances of birth parents and the need to search them out; reducing the potential for fantasy about birth parents; and contributing to an adopted child's self-esteem. All five birth parents commented positively on their experience of contact, particularly in relation to feeling more comfortable about giving agreement to adoption. Contact had gone some way to alleviate feelings of loss, guilt and pain associated with parting with a child. The openness of attitude of the adoptive parents was especially valued. Interviews with the adoptive parents highlighted a continuing level of satisfaction and positive experience of contact among those who had considered it positive four years earlier. Two families who were less than positive about contact in the earlier study felt more positive four years on and could now see how it had been helpful to their child. The extent and significance of contact for these families varied, though all believed their children had benefitted. The findings of this study are overwhelmingly encouraging and provide important pointers for the development of policy and practice. The small size of the sample studied prohibits generalisations and we should continue to be vigilant when considering the individual needs of each child. There is still a long way to go in understanding the complexities of ongoing contact for all of those involved and more research is needed. However, this book should be essential reading for all involved in the placement of children and young people who are unable to live with their families of origin, as well as adoptive parents who may be feeling a little apprehensive about the prospect of their adopted child having continued contact with their birth families.