MentalHealthCE Course Page: trkCPA10lo

In the last section, we discussed seeing as the child sees. This included the "dealing with adoption issues" technique, the "imagining gains and losses" technique and the "family story book" technique.

Do you have a client who is considering internationally adopting and older child? Might religious differences come up?

In this section, we will discuss trans-religious adoption. This will include the "questions to journal" technique. As you listen, think of your client. How would you respond to your client in these areas?

Although religiously affiliated adoption agencies may try to match the religion regarding the child with that of the parent, in the case of many adoptions of older children, making such a match is often not possible.

Valerie, age 29, was Jewish and a single parent to her adopted daughter Gloria, age 15, who was Hispanic and from South America. Valerie stated, "Gloria was raised by Catholic nuns. When she came to live with me, at age 8, she wanted to be Jewish. Gloria went to synagogue and even wanted to have a Bat Mitzvah. I was thrilled, and so was my family! Gloria has just now started high school. I became extremely disturbed when Gloria started to wear a cross and go to church with her friends! This was very difficult for me, but I very much want to be sensitive to Gloria’s needs."

I explained to Valerie that part of Gloria’s identity might be who she was before she was adopted, and that a piece of this might be her first religion, Catholicism.

♦ Here are Four Questions I have adoptive parents consider regarding adopting a child of a different religion.

How do you think your family will react if you adopt a child of another religion? Imagine how your child will feel if her entire family and social network is of the dominant culture.
How do you think you will feel when you are in public with your child? How will you handle probing and insensitive questions about your religious differences?
How would you extend the notion of your family to include the cultural background from which your child came? How can you contribute to the well-being of that community? Would you be willing to become involved in activities in that community in order to provide your child with a sense of connectedness to that community and with positive role models?
Would you expect your child to convert to your faith? What if she chose to practice her own faith? Would you feel threatened? Disappointed? How do you think you would handle these feelings?

In this section, we have discussed trans-religious adoption. This has included the "four helpful actions" technique and the "questions to journal" technique.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Article References:
Becker, D. R., & Bond, G. R. (2020). Commentary on special issue on individual placement and support (IPS) international. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 43(1), 79–82.

Goldberg, A. E., Smith, J. Z., & Kashy, D. A. (2010). Preadoptive factors predicting lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples' relationship quality across the transition to adoptive parenthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(3), 221–232.

Kelley, H. H., Marks, L. D., & Dollahite, D. C. (2020). Uniting and dividing influences of religion on parent–child relationships in highly religious families. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Advance online publication.

Weyand, C., O'Laughlin, L., & Bennett, P. (2013). Dimensions of religiousness that influence parenting. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 5(3), 182–191.

White, E. E., Baden, A. L., Ferguson, A. L., & Smith, L. (2021). The intersection of race and adoption: Experiences of transracial and international adoptees with microaggressions. Journal of Family Psychology.

QUESTION 10
What are some questions an adoptive parent might consider regarding adopting a child of a different religion? To select and enter your answer go to Test.

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