Birth fathers of children adopted after care proceedings project

1. Birth fathers of children adopted after care proceedings project A small qualitative pilot study by John Clifton

2. Why this project? [1] • Most children now adopted after court proceedings • Social workers have difficulty engaging parents especially fathers • Some evidence fathers feel their perspectives are not heard

3. Why this project? [2] • Best practice to enhance child’s identity is usually to work with fathers • Adoption agencies have duty to support for birth relatives • Local authorities now have a “gender equality duty” to consider the “equal but different” needs of men and women

4. Why this project? [3] • Children’s services typically centred on the needs of women and children • Deficit thinking common regarding fathers [O’Brien 2004] references • What clues do we have about birth father perspectives? • Aim: benefiting their children

5. Origins of the project • Portfolio for MA • Essay for International Perspectives unit compared UK and South African men • Reflection on previous practice • Parents attending panels • Own experience as a father

6. The literature [1] • Comparatively few studies of birth fathers of adopted children • Main UK studies [Clapton 2003; Witney 2005] research fathers of children relinquished in past decades • Previous adoption paradigm • References

7. The literature [2] • Samples through adoption support voluntaries and Adoption Contact Register • Show fathers’ ongoing distress and concern for their children similar to birth mothers’ • Literature review

8. Assumptions about research and practice [1] • Men [even perpetrators of harm to children] can be engaged with purposefully • Central focus must be child’s best interests • Safety of women partners and workers important [Daniel and Taylor 2001 p9] • References

9. Assumptions about research and practice [2] • Fathers matter to children in various ways: e.g. carers, providers, sources of identity • In adoption, identity often a central issue for adopted people • Information about birth fathers often missing • Records often do not contain birth father’s part of adoption narrative literature review

10. The research question • What perspectives do birth fathers of children adopted from care have in relation to their child’s adoption? • Definitions

11. Why qualitative approach taken [1] • Comparative paucity of information • Unable to confidently predict their key issues • Need to build rapport and trust • Approach needs to maximise chances that they will consent

12. Why qualitative approach taken [2] • Openness to hearing their perspectives • Quantitative approach inappropriate: • Obtaining a large sample impractical and.. • Clear variables for hypothesis construction cannot be identified

13. Project design • “Grounded theory” [Strauss & Corbin 1998] reference • Sample size of 3-5 subjects • Conduct in depth interviews with mostly open questions flowing from research question • Analyse by successive codings to derive “middle range” explanatory theory about subject’s perspectives

14. Sample – child cohort [1] • Fathers recruited from Suffolk children looked after placed for adoption or adopted between 1 April 2005 & 27 February 2007 • n=162 children of which- • 156 [96%] subject to care order/ freeing/ or placement order • 6 [4%] relinquished for adoption following accommodation

15. Sample – child cohort [2] • Of the 156 children adopted or placed after a court order • 99 [63%] were adopted • 57 [37%] were placed for adoption • Identity of children and social workers obtained from adoption agency CHARMS database

16. Sample – father’s referral process [1] • Social workers asked to consider all fathers on the list • Social worker/ manager must agree approach to potential subject • Initial approach by social worker, manager or researcher • Then by researcher phone call & letter

17. Sample – father’s referral process [2] • Subjects ruled out where there was risk of violence or disruption of child’s placement • Agreed subjects ruled out where family in subsequent care proceedings or in crisis • Pros and cons of relying on “insider” access and making contact through social workers

18. Sample - reasons for exclusion

19. Sample – father’s referral process [3] • Social workers mostly very helpful and interested but some too busy • Where high staff turnover parents out of touch [especially fathers] within 1-2 years • A few comments suggesting negative stereotyping of fathers or “gender blindness” [Daniel & Taylor 2001 p 220] reference

20. Sample – Staff comments Social work manager: • I don’t agree with the basic premise of your research…fathers get exactly the same treatment as everyone else. Social worker: • I don’t know why you want to talk to him - he’s a confirmed drug addict.

21. Sample – obtaining subjects • Great persistence and flexibility needed to locate subjects and encourage them to participate • Several “no shows” for agreed interviews at social services offices • Therefore, all but one subjects interviewed in their own homes

22. Sample – profiles of subjects [1] • Late 20’s. White British. Living with partner [mother of child adopted] at parents’ home. Employment scheme. No further children • Early 30’s. Mixed heritage. Living in temporary accommodation. Separated from child’s mother. Not working. No other children. Problematic history of adoption.

23. Sample – profiles of subjects [2] • Mid 30’s. White British. Living with new partner and her children and their child. Full time work. • Late 40’s. White British. Living with wife [mother of children adopted]. Full time work. All their children either adopted or permanently fostered.

24. Sample – profiles of subjects [3] • Early 60’s. White British. Living with wife [mother of children adopted]. Disabled by serious stroke. All their children either adopted or permanently fostered.

25. Data collection [1] • In depth interviews of about 1 hour • Opening question: • When you look back now about your child’s adoption what things come to mind? • Informant encouraged to develop and expand answers & open new areas

26. Data collection [2] • Subsidiary questions as prompts • Topics: Involvement in decision making • Fairness issues • Effects on father of child’s adoption • Possibility of future contact • Adoption support • Questions

27. Data collection [3] • Interviews audiotaped • Transcribed verbatim • Imported into qualitative research programme Nvivo for analysis

28. Data analysis • Each script “open coded” • Open codes defined • Possible categories identified through “axial coding” • Develop key categories from which theory may be developed

29. Interim results [1] • All data [5 scripts] open coded using Nvivo example • 302 open codes identified list • Codes organised in trees for ease of access • Selected open codes defined example • Memos and diagrams to develop categories memo

30. Interim results [2] • Insufficient time to complete formal category development • Interim findings based upon: • Some category development • Summarising and selecting themes frequently mentioned or given emphasis by subjects &.. • informed by research question

31. Perspectives related to father attributes Interim results [3] Fathers in family during care proceedings [3] Father in forced accommodation case [1] Father out of family during care proceedings [1]

32. Interim findings on fathers’ perspectives • Feelings of loss • Experience of exclusion • Focus on possible future meeting • Rationalisations • Coping strategies • Is support acceptable? • The delight and pain of letterbox contact

33. Feelings of loss [1] • Acute sense of loss anger and distress • Two considered suicide • Double loss of child and partner • Ongoing yearning for the child • Comparisons with bereavement

34. Feelings of loss [2] • Acute distress, anger and sadness • Yes, it's all sort of come at... collapsed together. It's like a balloon. You can't -- if you pop a balloon, it all pops and goes down, not just half of it. The lot goes down together -- collapsed together. When I eventually realised that I haven't got my children to m -- me my life was just finished.... • more

35. Feelings of loss [3] • Two considered suicide • I really felt like killing myself to be honest with you. And I never would, but that’s how I felt. • more

36. Feelings of loss [4] • The possible “double whammy” of losing partner and child • ...I was so distraught when I lost the both of them.

37. Feelings of loss [5] • Continual yearning and concern for adopted child • I think about him every day. • …I've got a son out there somewhere. That’s all I know. I've got one out there somewhere. He could be…three streets away; he could be miles away. I just don’t know where he is.

38. Feelings of loss [6] • Compared to bereavement • Worse for some… • To--- to realise that you've lost a part of your life. Your children are parts of your life. By taking a child they gently they've.. well...em... what do you call it, tightening the n- round your throat... • …the way I was thinking about it since my dad died: that was painful, but losing my son was even worse.

39. Feelings of loss [7] • …than for others: • It’s not as extreme as if you lose someone through death. But then, in a way, if you think of it along them terms, it’s a fact. I wouldn’t say it’s a bereavement but it’s a bereavement of a s-sort.

40. Feelings of loss [8] • Feelings may change over time • That’s like when my dad died, I talk about how I felt then; how I feel now about it. Same as S: how I felt then; how I feel now; how I might feel in the future.

41. Feelings of loss [9] • For some, pain diminishes: • Most of the pain has gone and that but I'll still-I'll always have a bit there

42. Feelings of loss [10] • Strongest sense of loss & guilt for father out of family • I blame myself every day [unclear]. That-that-that is my fault. He's not here. I could’ve-I could’ve made the decision for him to stay here. But would he have been happy? I know he's happy where he is. That’s not very sort of-that’s not very good for me …but…I'm happy-deep down I'm happy because… he's happy…

43. Experience of exclusion [1] • Deficit thinking • Assessment a closed process • Being subordinated • Disadvantaged in meetings • Fathers unequal to mothers • Odds against in care proceedings • Exception: out of family father

44. Experience of exclusion [2] • Deficit thinking • …all they did really was ignore most of the good and take the bad which – that's not the way to do it. We barely did a bad thing wrong but they accused us that we did.

45. Experience of exclusion [3] • Assessment a closed process • I wanted to see him as much as I could 'cos basically we knew the circumstances and what was going to happen.

46. Experience of exclusion [4] • Being subordinated to social services • And each parent has their own way of bring up a kid but-we had to do it their way, which, anyone knows that's not going to work. You have your own techniques but nah! You had to use their rules. We couldn't. Basically, it was their rules or fail straight away.

47. Experience of exclusion [5] • Disadvantaged in meetings • Then, they go round, say things and that like: what could be done and that and how you felt and the-they asked me and that-pfff!-that 's when I kicked off 'cos… that's the only time they really wanted me to talk…is when they ask my point of it. And it's like, well…I'm blatantly-I'm the kid's dad, yeah. I'm involved in this kind of stuff. But they made me not… involved with it.More

48. Experience of exclusion [6] • The odds stacked against the birth father in care proceedings • When they-not in these words-but they basically said "go to court, fight a losing battle or sign the papers". Not them sort of words and that but that was the worst moment that... signing the papers for adoption and that. I cried all day believe it or not.more

49. Focus on possible future meeting [1] • A longed-for future event • Preparing for it • Wanting to set the record straight • Worry about how the meeting will go • Will child reject father? • Hedging bets

50. Focus on possible future meeting [2] • A longed-for future event • I'm wishing my life away to the day he comes…and he knocks at the door…… all I'm hoping for is…the day he knocks on the door. That’s all I'm aiming for in life. • More