Member Article

Adoptive parents needed for local study

A university researcher is calling for adoptive parents to volunteer to help with her research into the ways in which adoptive families cope with the unique parenting challenges they face.

Chris Jones, a PhD student based at Durham University’s School of Applied Social Science wants to hear adoptive parents’ views and experiences of family life, the challenges they and their children face day to day and to learn about the resources that adopters draw upon when they and their children need practical and emotional support. She is seeking adoptive parents who had children placed with them by DFW Adoption, formerly known as Durham Family Welfare Association, between 1976 and 2001 to take part in an interview.

Ms Jones said: “Adoption is a unique way of creating or extending a family and offers many challenges as well as rewards for adoptive parents. “Adoption has been the subject of much research, yet little is known about the ways that adoptive families cope with parenting challenges and make adoption a success day to day and year to year throughout childhood and into adulthood. This study aims to fill this gap in our knowledge.”

Approximately 40 interviews are planned in total with adoptive mothers and fathers at many different stages of family life. If you are an adoptive parent who had a child placed with you by DFW Adoption between 1976 and 2001 and you would like to be involved in this project please contact Chris Jones on 0191 334 1230.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .