Open Adoption Myths and the Need to Educate Child Welfare Social Workers

Abstract

Adopted children experience many psychological challenges. Some professionals believe that open adoption can have positive effects on the psychological well-being of adopted children. The independent contribution of attitudes and myths in understanding open adoption has been examined in the literature. However, these variables have not been studied together. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study aimed to determine how well the combination of these variables correlated and predicted views of open adoption in child welfare social worker. The study participants were 97 child welfare social workers in the District of Columbia. All study participants completed several survey instruments including the Open Adoption Scale (OAS) and the Levels of Openness Scale (LOS). Multiple linear regression identified a significant model, R² = 0.197, F(3,75) = 4.82, p < .05 for predicting levels of openness toward open adoption when open adoption attitudes, open adoption myths, and area of practice were combined. Also, all three predictor variables contributed significantly to the model. Open adoption attitudes scores (β = -0.471, p < 0.001) and open adoption myths scores (β = 0.304, p < 0.017) were the 2 scale variables with significant contributions. Adoption was the reference category for the area of practice (nominal) variable. Units of child protection, foster care, and other were significantly different from adoption. This research is important because it identified a predictive model for levels of openness toward open adoption that had not been previously identified. The implications for positive social change can be realized through interventions that are aimed toward child welfare social workers and the continuance of positive attitudes toward open adoption, the disagreement with open adoption myths, and advocacy for the facilitation of open adoption practices.