ERIC Number: EJ805142
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-4021
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Faith in Adoption: Achieving Positive Adoption Outcomes for African American Children
Belanger, Kathleen; Copeland, Sam; Cheung, Monit
Child Welfare, v87 n2 p99-123 2008
African American children are overrepresented in foster care by more than twice their proportion in the population (U.S. Government Accountability Office [USGAO], 2007). Building upon research relating faith (religiosity) to positive health and mental health, this study utilized cognitive and religious coping theories to examine the influence of faith on choosing to adopt, achieving positive adoption outcomes, and reducing disproportionality. From Louisiana and Texas, 113 families who adopted 226 children, 48% African American, participated in a survey measuring children's behavior and parent distress (PSI-SF Difficult Child and Parent Distress Subscales) and religiosity (Hoge Intrinsic Religiosity Index). Of the respondents, 93% of the respondents belonged to a religious congregation, 86% attended church weekly. Controlling for child's behavior, religiosity predicted lower stress in adoptive parenting; church attendance was related to improvement in parental health since adopting. Faith was rated most frequently as essential in parents' decisions to adopt. The study concludes that faith may be an asset in increasing adoptions and improving adoption outcomes resulting in increased numbers of African American children adopted. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: African American Children, Placement, Disproportionate Representation, Foster Care, Adoption, Religion, Coping, Mental Health, Health, Epistemology, Surveys, Child Behavior, Measures (Individuals), Parent Attitudes, Stress Variables, Prediction
Child Welfare League of America. P.O. Box 932831, Atlanta, GA 31193-2831. Tel: 800-407-6273; Tel: 770-280-4164; e-mail: order@cwla.org; Web site: http://www.cwla.org/pubs
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Louisiana; Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A