challenges and experiences of children and
youth and their foster, adoptive and kinship
families. Infusing adoption competency in the
provision of casework and clinical practice
is essential to keep kids and families strong.

Adoption-competent supports help children
with these unique experiences and create an
environment where they can thrive.

II
Adoption-Competent Practice Helps
to Support Permanency
When children and parents don’t have
individuals who understand the needs of
adoptive and foster families, it can affect the
family’s home life. This situation has a grave
impact on children. Children who age out
of foster care without a permanent family
environment are at risk for a host of difficulties,
including homelessness, substance abuse and
mental health challenges.

When children have services that help them
process their past traumatic experiences,
including their grief and loss, they are better
able to develop healthy and appropriate coping
skills. Similarly, when parents are provided
with tools and strategies that make sense
based on their adoption experiences, they are
better able to provide support and stability for
their children.

Adoption RESOURCES for Families
The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) is a national leader in mental
health services for the foster care and adoption community. Visit adoptionsupport.org and
WashingtonFAMILY.com for links to the following adoption resources:
A free family resource packet containing articles for the adoption, kinship and foster care
community (downloadable at https://adoptionsupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Resource-
Packet-2.25.21-Final.pdf). Articles, fact sheets and podcasts on topics related to adoption and foster care (https://
adoptionsupport.org/education-resources/for-parents-families). Books and merchandise (https://store.adoptionsupport.org/shop/booksandmerchandise).

“Strengthening Your Family” live monthly webinar series (https://adoptionsupport.org/
syfwebinars). III
Families Will Get the Right Help
Research demonstrates that adoptive
parents often have to go through multiple
providers before finding a therapist who truly
understands the issues and experiences relevant
to adoption.

Untrained therapists who lack adoption
competency will not be able to assess the
situation accurately, which will impact treatment
strategies leading to ineffective interventions. For
many reasons, clinicians and caseworkers often
lack training specific to the adoption experience,
limiting their abilities to practice effectively with
this vulnerable population. Adoption-competent
practices save families the stress and despair
of implementing tools and responses in their
homes that don’t best serve the family’s needs. n
Dawn Wilson, MSW, is the director of the
National Training Institute for the Center
for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)
based in Burtonsville, Maryland.




 

   
    


      

 
 



  

 
 

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