Survey Findings

Adoptions from Eastern European Orphanages Overwhelmingly Successful
March, 1998

Key Findings

The largest follow-up survey of families who adopted children from Eastern European orphanages clearly shows that the vast majority of these families are very pleased by their children’s successful adjustment. Over 1200 families answered a survey mailed to them by Cradle of Hope Adoption Center, the study sponsor, and eighteen other U.S. adoption agencies.

On arrival, the adopted children ranged in age from one month to 16 years of age. At the time of the survey, they had been living with their adoptive families for an average of two years and their average age was just under five years.

Almost all (95%) of the families reported that their children’s overall adjustment is currently very good or good.
The vast majority of parents reported that, on arrival, their child’s physical health (89%), their emotional health (87%), and their cognitive development (87%) were as they had expected or better.
By the time of the survey, most children had mild or no developmental delays in their motor skills (95%), emotional maturity (88%) and physical size(85%).

Background

In 1990, institutionalized children from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union became available for international adoption. Since then, U.S. families have adopted more than 15,000 orphans from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet Republics. Though many children have easily and quickly adjusted to life with their new families, there have been disturbing reports of children who arrived with problems for which their new parents felt unprepared, including a wide range of physical, emotional and cognitive issues.

Opinions regarding the prevalence, degree, and nature of these post-adoption challenges vary widely and there is little applicable research. The few small studies of adoption outcomes for children who spent time in institutions focused primarily on placements from Romania. Studies from previous decades are also not helpful because international adoptions in the 1970s and 1980s were primarily of children raised in foster homes. Adoption professionals have had to rely, therefore, on anecdotal experiences to guide them in preparing families to adopt an institutionalized child.

The Survey

After hearing media reports suggesting widespread post-adoption challenges for families adopting institutionalized orphans from Eastern Europe, Linda Perilstein, Executive Director of Cradle of Hope Adoption Center, Inc., commissioned this survey. In her agency’s experience placing almost 1000 children from orphanages, families with successful adjustments far outnumbered those with serious problems. She sought an objective way to determine the true prevalence and nature of these post-adoption challenges

The survey was developed by adoption professionals and adoptive parents. Cradle of Hope and eighteen other U.S. adoption agencies mailed the survey to 2,159 families who had adopted children from Eastern Europe. Other participants learned of the survey by word of mouth or the Internet. In total, 1,247 (57%) of the surveys were completed and returned.

Responding Families

The typical family responding to the survey was a well-educated, married (91%)couple in their late thirties or early forties. Most mothers had completed college (80%) and, of these, over half held graduate degrees. Most mothers were in the workforce, with 55% working full-time and 22% working part-time. Fathers were predominantly college graduates (82%) and working full time (96%). Single mothers made up 9% of the respondents.

Children in the responding families were evenly split between boys and girls. They averaged 34.2 months in age when they arrived home - half were under 24 months and a quarter were four years of age or older. At the time the surveys were completed, the children had lived with their families, on average, two years and their average age was just under 5 years.

Most of the children in the families responding to the survey came from Russia (63%) and Romania (17%). The remaining 9%were adopted from other former Soviet Republics, including Moldova, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus. There was little ethnic or racial diversity among the children. Most were Caucasian (84%). The others included Gypsies (7%), Asian-Europeans (3%), and African-Europeans (6%).

Children’s Adjustment to Their Adoptive Families

The overwhelming majority of adopted children in this survey adjusted very well to their adoptive families. In 71% of the families, parents reported that children adjusted within three months or less and 92% reported adjustment within the first year As predicted by previous studies and experience, children adopted at age 3 or younger tended to adjust more quickly than older children - 84% of the younger adoptees and 50% of those over 3 years adjusted to living in the family within four months. At the time parents completed the survey (on average, 2 years after the adoption), 98% of those with children adopted at 3 years of age or less and 92% of those who had adopted older children reported good or very good attachment to their families.

Health and Development of Adopted Children

The vast majority of parents reported that, on arrival, their child’s physical health (89%), emotional health (87%), cognitive development (87%), learning abilities (90%), and behavior (82%) were as they had expected or better.

Virtually all children who grow up in institutional settings experience developmental delays. These delays usually improve with individualized attention and therapy. Most respondents described their adoptive children’s delays, on arrival, as mild to moderate and 90% of children in the survey made substantial progress during their first six months home. On arrival, severe delays were most prevalent in the areas of physical development (21%) and expressive language (22.5%).

By the time they completed the survey (on average, 2 years after adoption), most parents reported mild or no delays in motor skills (95%), emotional maturity (88%) and physical size (85%).

Parents’ Satisfaction with Adopted Child

Overwhelmingly, parents were pleased that their adopted child had become part of their family - 93% strongly agreed and 4.5% simply agreed with the statement, We are/I am pleased that this child has become a member of the family.

Parents’ Satisfaction with Adoption Agency Referrals and Services

Most parents reported that the child they adopted matched their stated preferences regarding sex, age, race, country of origin and health. For the 28% of respondents who adopted a child that did not match one or more of their preferences, the most common differences were in child’s age and health, and most (83%) reported no pressure from their agencies to accept these referrals.

Most parents were generally satisfied with the services provided by their home study and placement agencies before and after their adoption.

Conclusions

While there is risk in all types of adoption as well as in forming families biologically, this survey suggests that the vast majority of international adoptions of institutionalized children have positive outcomes for the adopting families and the children they adopt. It is hoped that these survey results will help adoption professionals to better understand and prepare prospective adoptive parents for the issues inherent in the adoption of institutionalized children.

These dramatic survey results do not diminish the great challenges faced by a small percentage of adoptive families whose children suffered serious cognitive, emotional, and health consequences from prolonged institutionalization. These families dedicate themselves to obtaining the best possible treatments for their children and they need and deserve the ongoing support of adoption agencies and professionals.