Joining a new family: the views and experiences of young people placed with permanent families during middle childhood

Abstract

Cherilyn Dance and Alan Rushton report on the views of a group of young people who had joined adoptive or foster families some six years previously when they were between five and 11 years old (the Maudsley Follow-Up Study). The report focuses on the experience of joining a new family, family relationships and feelings of belonging. It was striking that it could take some young people a considerable length of time to feel settled; however, by the follow-up stage the great majority felt very much a part of their family. Several described their placement as an opportunity for a 'new start'. A small minority was less settled and expressed continued discomfort with their adoptive status. The authors discuss the direction of current practice and policy developments with reference to these findings.