Fathers, Mothers and Marriages: What Shapes Adoption Conversations in Families with Young Adopted Children?

We explored factors that influence parental involvement in adoption dialogues in 66 internationally adoptive, heterosexual couples with 4to 7-year old children. Correlates of adoption involvement varied by parent sex. Mothers were more involved in talking about adoption than fathers, but adoption involvement was also correlated within couples. Emphasis on the difference between biological versus adoptive parenting, quality of the marital relationship, and child characteristics were differentially associated with maternal and paternal involvement. Findings suggest an intricate interplay between the marital and co-parental dynamics that shape the early communication process within adoptive families. Kristine Freeark and Katherine L. Rosenblum are both affiliated with the Center for Human Growth & Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Vanessa H. Hus is affiliated with the Autism Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Briana L. Root is affiliated with the Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. This research was supported in part by the American Psychoanalytic Association Research Fund, the Jacobs Foundation, and the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan. Address correspondence to: Kristine Freeark, PhD, Center for Human Growth & Development, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, 10th Level, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-0406 (E-mail: [email protected]). Adoption Quarterly, Vol. 11(1), 2008 Available online at http://www.haworthpress.com C © 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved. doi: 10.1080/10926750802291393 1 2 ADOPTION QUARTERLY