Perspectiva adoptatorilor şi a practicienilor asupra serviciilor pre şi post adopţie în România [The Perspective of Adopters and Practitioners on Pre-and Post-Adoption Services in Romania]

Facilitating the integration of the child into the new family environment during the period of entrustment for adoption, respectively during the post-adoption period, the General Directorates of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) and accredited private bodies offer psychological, counselling and support services targeting the needs of the adoptive families. The current study has a two-fold aim: (1) exploring the perception of specialists from DGASPCs and NGOs, but also of adoptive parents on the services available during the adoption process and (2) determining the additional support services needed to be developed. Using a qualitative approach, 17 interviews were conducted with 20 specialists from child protection departments, 7 interviews with specialists from four NGOs, and 32 interviews with parents who adopted children from the public profile. Most parents claim that they do not know about the existence of adoption support services, and those who do know are dissatisfied with the way they are offered, especially those offered by public institutions. Specialists appreciate that only basic support is offered and specialized services would be needed, such as parenting and personal development courses for adopters, psychotherapy services, and support groups, but also establishing a base with informational resources. The results of this study can inform strategies for the development of services in the field of adoption.


Keywords: adoption of children, children from the public profile, pre- and post-adoption services, social services development