Reason 1: Buiding family bonds helps build society in the future

Understanding Child Development- Child Welfare Information Gateway:

Children who did not spend enough time with emotionally healthy adults may have difficulty identifying and controlling their emotions.

Children from orphanages or group care settings may not have had many opportunities to see or practice healthy social interactions.

Children who were maltreated may not have learned how to empathize with others, may have learned to relate to others in a violent way, or may reenact trauma they have experienced

If the attachment process is disrupted, the child may not develop the secure base necessary to support future healthy development.

A child with insecure attachment might show traits of young child in the "oral stage," with abnormal speech patterns and eating patterns.


"Parenting your Adopted School-Aged Child"Factsheets for Families.Child Welfare Information Gateway. 2009

Child Welfare   The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau funds research projects on postadoption services. The following is just one example: The Colorado Coalition of Adoptive Families (CCAF) received an Adoption Opportunities and Healthy Marriage grant to provide training and support to families who adopted children from foster care in Colorado. The CCAF trained 641 adoptive parents in relationship strengthening skills and provided direct postadoptive services to 730 children and 945 adults over the 5-year grant period (2004-2009). Services included parent support groups, family advocacy, crisis intervention, therapy, respite care, case consultation, special events, a speaker series, and more. The project also was responsible for developing a network of adoption professionals, parents, community leaders, and others. Among the goals of the project was a reduction in adoption disruptions. Statistics comparing 616 participating adoptive families with 1,439 nonparticipating adoptive families showed that participating families had a rate of adoption disruption that was 16 percent lower than nonparticipating families (1.46 percent vs. 1.74 percent of finalized adoptions). www.cocaf.org Reactive attachment disorder (found in children who do not bond with families even before age 5) Complications of reactive attachment disorder can continue into adulthood and can include: Delayed learning or physical growth Poor self-esteem Delinquent or antisocial behavior Relationship problems Temper or anger problems Eating problems, which can lead to malnutrition in severe cases Depression Anxiety Academic problems Drug and alcohol addiction Unemployment or frequent job changes Inappropriate sexual behavior Mayo Clinic

Any factors that interfere with bonding experiences can interfere with the development of attachment capabilities.  When the interactive, reciprocal "dance" between the caregiver and infant is disrupted or difficult, bonding experiences are difficult to maintain. Disruptions can occur because of primary problems with the infant, the caregiver, the environment or the "fit" between the infant and caregiver.   Infant: The child’s “personality” or temperament influences bonding.  If an infant is difficult to sooth, irritable or unresponsive compared to a calm, self-soothing child, he or she will have more difficulty developing a secure attachment. The infant's ability to participate in the maternal-infant interaction may be compromised due to a medical condition such as pre-maturity, birth defect, or illness.   Caregiver: The caregiver's behaviors can impair bonding.  Critical, rejecting, and interfering parents tend to have children that avoid emotional intimacy.  Abusive parents tend to have children that become uncomfortable with intimacy and withdraw. The child’s mother may be unresponsive to the child due to maternal depression, substance abuse, overwhelming personal problems, or other factors that interfere with her ability to be consistent and nurturing for the child.  Perry, B.D. "Bonding and attachment in maltreated children" Consequences of emotional neglect in children. Adapted in part from: “Maltreated Children: Experience, Brain Development and the Next Generation” (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, in preparation) P.D. Perry Bonding and Attachment