CANADIAN ADOPTION RESEARCH
SUMMARIES
Westhues, Anne & Cohen,
Joyce. (1994)
Intercountry Adoption in Canada: Final Report.
Ottawa, Ontario. Human Resources Development Canada. Funded by National
Welfare Grants.
CONTEXT
For similar
information, see:
Westhues,
Anne & Cohen, Joyce.(1997) "A Comparison of the Adjustment of
Adolescent and Young Adult Inter-country Adoptees and their Siblings."
International Journal of Behavioral Development. vol. 20(1)
pg 47-65.
Westhues,
A. & Cohen, J.S. (1997). "The Adjustment of Intercountry Adoptees
in Canada." Children and Youth Services Review. 19 (4), 253-275;
or Westhues, A. & Cohen, J.S. (1998).
For an
article that focuses on ethnic and racial identity, see "Ethnic and
Racial Identity of Internationally Adopted Adolescents and Young Adults:
A Discussion in Relation to Children's Rights." Adoption Quarterly.
1 (4), pp 33-55.
Westhues
and Cohen state that the question in regards to inter-country adoption
for policymakers, service deliverers, prospective adoptive parents
and biological parents deciding whether to relinquish their child,
is whether crosscultural and transracial adoptions are successful.
The authors explore how internationally adopted children and their
families fare once the child has reached adolescence, in comparison
with their Canadian born siblings who are the biological offspring
of the parents and siblings adopted domestically.
The sample
was drawn from families in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec who
crossnationally adopted a child who, at the time of the study, was
at least twelve years of age. The children were adopted from the following
countries, South Korea, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Haiti, India, Brazil,
Columbia, Guatemala, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Jamaica, the Philippines,
Hong Kong, Cambodia, China and Zambia. Interviews were conducted on
123 mothers, 113 fathers, 155 children adopted crossnationally and
121 siblings born to the parents except for 16 who had been adopted
domestically. Upon entry to Canada, intercountry adoptees were on
average three years of age, and at the time of the study, had been
in Canada for approximately fourteen years.
This
study deals with parent and child characteristics and the adoption
process, family relationships, self-esteem, school and friends, ethnic
and racial identity and the experience of racism.
The authors
found that the internationally adopted youth in this study report
feeling a strong sense of belonging within the family, and their self-esteem
was found to be higher than the general population, with girls presenting
the same pattern as Canadian born girls, of lower self-esteem than
boys. Westhues and Cohen note that these higher than average scores
may be explained by the elevated socio-economic status of the families
adopting internationally. Both groups of siblings (siblings who are
the biological offspring of the parents and siblings adopted domestically)
reported feeling an even stronger sense of attachment to their families
and also describe higher feelings of self-esteem.
In regards
to peer relations, all but three international adoptees and two siblings
said they had friends. Over 50% of female adoptees and female siblings
said that their friends were white (Westhues & Cohen, 127). A
significant difference was found between male adoptees and siblings,
with siblings more likely to identify their friends as racially mixed.
A large majority of internationally adopted children reported an unpleasant
experience because of their ethnic/racial background. Most often these
experiences involved ethnic or racial slurs by classmates when they
were in elementary school. Ten percent of parents were unaware of
these experiences (Westhues & Cohen, 166).
Westhues
and Cohen note that approximately half of the internationally adopted
children regarded themselves as Canadian or Quebecois. However, the
authors state that approximately 4% of international adoptees and
3% of male siblings are struggling with the question of ethnic identification.
The authors note that what may be of greater concern is that approximately
10% of male and female adoptees stated that they thought of themselves
as white, even though the interviewee's country of origins included
Korea, Bangladesh and Haiti (Westhues & Cohen, 141). Westhues
and Cohen suggest that this may be a functional adaptation to being
a visible minority not only in Canadian society, but within one's
family. However, this is of particular concern as it is unlikely that
others, especially those outside the family, will respond to the international
adoptees as though they are white. Siblings were more likely to say
that they were very comfortable with their ethnicity. Similar patterns
were found in the responses regarding racial background.
Seventy-one
percent of intercountry adoptees and 78% of siblings believed that
their parents are satisfied or very satisfied with their academic
achievements (Westhues & Cohen, 119-120). Seventeen percent of
siblings stated they were among the most able in their class, while
only 7% of intercountry adoptees believed the same (ibid). A large
majority of parents thought that their internationally adopted children
had set realistic career goals, or accepted the child's right to choose
what they wished to become.
Many
of the children had health problems upon arrival in Canada, however
approximately half of these were correctable. The most common correctable
health problem was malnutrition followed by intestinal or digestive
problems often caused by parasites. Skin rashes or infections such
as scabies and eczema were also reported. Less commonly reported were
correctable respiratory problems, dental problems, hearing impairments,
neurological/orthopaedic problems, cognitive delays, visual impairments,
gross or fine motor problems and blood abnormalities. Eight percent
of intercountry adoptees were found to have permanent health problems,
the most common being neurological/orthopaedic problems and cognitive
delays. Other permanent health concerns included hearing and visual
impairments, fine or gross motor impairments, respiratory problems
and blood abnormalities. The remaining children were described as
being in good health by their parents.
Based
on their findings, Westhues and Cohen make the following recommendations:
That
the provinces continue their commitment to educational programs for
elementary and high school children with the objective of preventing
racism.
That
provincial Ministries of Education and local Boards of Education provide
training and education to school personnel in regards to handling
racism among themselves and their students. The authors state that
internationally adopted children who experience racial slurs and other
disturbing behaviours must feel supported by the system.
That
a commitment be made to keep international adoption affordable, and
that the costs associated with adoption be regulated, in order for
international adoption to be a viable option for all Canadians.
That
pre-placement services with an educational focus on citizenship issues
and life changes be available to prospective adoptive parents.
That
post-placement services be offered for both parents and adopted children.
This would include ongoing education and support, and specialized
services such as tutoring or health care. These services should be
delivered by staff who are culturally sensitive and knowledgeable.
That
social workers who conduct home studies for intercountry adoption,
be trained on the cultural, religious and social mores of the countries
from which Canadians may adopt from. This should include techniques
for assessing how open a family is to becoming a transracial/cultural
family.
That
training be offered to child welfare and mental health professionals
that assists these individuals in developing an understanding of the
dynamics of crosscultural/transracial families.
That
nation-wide guidelines be developed for home studies for those applying
to adopt internationally.
That
training be offered to physicians on the type of health care problems
that intercountry adoptees may have upon entering the country, and
the type of diagnostic testing which will identify these health problems.
That
an information system be created to record the number of children
who are admitted into Canada each year for the purpose of adoption.
This would include the child's demographic information and whether
the adoption is relative or non-relative.
That
as much background information as possible be obtained about the intercountry
adoptees. This should include information about the child's life experiences
up until the time he or she is adopted, and where possible, information
regarding the child's biological parents and extended family.
That
Canada continue its commitment to developing nations, through financial
aid and educational programs within developing nations and domestically.
Westhues
and Cohen note because of the low response rate of their sample group,
generalizations to the broader population cannot be made with confidence.
The authors also note that it cannot be discounted that the families
who agreed to participate in this study may be the ones with positive
adoption experiences.
Anne
Westhues is affiliated with Sir Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo,
Ontario.
Joyce
S. Cohen is affiliated with the University of Toronto in Toronto,
Ontario.
Full
text available at Alberta Government Library, (780) 427-8400
This
summary was prepared in 2003 by Inter-country Adoption Services (www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrib/sdd-dds/cfc/content/interAdopt.shtml)
at the federal Department of Social Development.
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