The
issues which adoptive families face are unique and often challenging,
and are frequently misunderstood or minimized by health care
professionals. The formation of a family through adoption is
a complex event, containing joy and hope as well as grief, loss
and trauma. Quite often the trauma, arising from abandonment,
orphanage or foster home stays, abuse, medical procedures and/or
transitioning to new caregivers, can result in serious behavioral
and attachment disorders. Understandably, families living with
this set of circumstances are often stressed to their limits.
They need the assistance of a professional who has the knowledge,
skills and personal experience of adoption to help them navigate
these issues and teach them "graduate level" parenting
skills - skills above and beyond those learned from books, grandparents
and peers.