Changes in the institution of adoption over the past few decades have resulted in many questions about the best way to prepare and support adoptive parents for the task of raising their children. Historically, many parents who adopted children were given little, if any, information about their children's origins or about adoption in general. Yet, without adequate information, the chances for developing appropriate expectations about adoption, or for understanding the best ways of managing the challenges that can be associated with adoptive family life, are lessened. This is especially true for adoptions from the child welfare system and from other countries, where there is significant risk of medical and/or psychological issues. This training module is the first in a series of comprehensive training units geared toward improving the ability of adoption professionals to meet the preparation and educational needs of adoptive parents. Specifically, this module - which can be incorporated into existing pre and post-adoption preparation programs - focuses on helping adoptive parents better understand and manage the mental health, developmental and child care issues related to adoption.

These training modules are based on the February 2008 Policy Brief: ADOPTIVE PARENT PREPARATION PROJECT PHASE I: MEETING THE MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF ADOPTED CHILDREN