Adoptions don’t always go as planned, and, like people, no two adoptive families share the exact same story.
- Sometimes, the children exhibit unusual behavior changes or fail to bond with their parents after the finalization of their adoption.
- Sometimes, family deaths, disability, and other unexpected crises afflict adoptive families after adoption finalization and make them less equipped to parent than they were during the adoption process.
- Sometimes, biological parents want their parental rights back, either changing their minds about willfully giving them up or recovering from situations that previously made them lose custody.
So, what should adoptive parents do in these types of situations?
Can adoption be reversed?
And if the thought even crosses your mind—does that make you a bad parent?
If you’re going through a situation like this and have questions like these, please know: you’re not a bad parent for having them, and you’re not alone. Our ministry frequently helps families navigate similar situations. In this blog, we’re here to offer judgment-free guidance to help you navigate this, too, with wisdom and peace.
Can Adoption Be Reversed? Quick Answer + Key Terms
In short, yes; sometimes an adoption can be reversed. Adoption reversal is considered one of two types of failed adoptions, the other being adoption disruption. Reversals occur when post-adoption finalization permanency—when the adoptive parents maintain their legal guardianship and placement of their adoptive child until adulthood—is unsuccessful. Adoption disruption, the other type of failed adoption, involves the legal termination of the adoption process before it is finalized legally.
As these terms indicate, adoption reversal isn’t even an option if you’re still somewhere in the adoption process and haven’t actually finalized the adoption; your option would be a legal adoption disruption. Visit our Understanding Failed and Disrupted Adoption resource page for more information on adoption disruptions and the basics of failed adoptions.
Interventions to Prevent Adoption Reversal
Although adoption reversal is possible, it brings a heartbreaking end to what was supposed to be a forever family. Moreover, if you found finalizing your adoption was a challenging legal process, navigating an adoption reversal can be an even more emotionally taxing journey. Ultimately, you still love the child you adopted, challenges and all, and all prevention strategies that may effectively address the issue should be exhausted before turning to adoption reversal.
Examples of reversal (annulment) prevention strategies for families facing challenges with an adoption include:
- Attend support groups where you can fellowship, receive advice, and more with families who have currently or previously faced these challenges.
- Find a licensed counselor for your child who can help them identify and heal from their trauma, which is often the root of the defiant behavior and familial bonding struggles that lead to adoptive family distress.
- Attend counseling yourself for specific therapies that help you learn to cope with grief or other troubles negatively impacting your experience as an adoptive parent.
- Contact a ministry or other organization that aims to help in these situations, such as the Alabama Free Will Baptist Children’s Home.
- Read up on articles and other literature on related topics, such as our Understanding Failed and Disrupted Adoption resource page.
If prevention interventions fail to help you maintain your adoptive child’s permanency in your home, try to find and contact a second-chance adoption agency that serves your area. These organizations work to help families move their adoptive child into a new and compatible placement, legally and safely.
Further Support
Our ministry (and some others like ours) offer multiple forms of support for families trying to avoid a legal adoption annulment/reversal. At the Alabama Free Will Baptist Children’s Home, specifically, we offer the following for families in Alabama:
- Group and individual counseling for all members of adoptive families, whether your adopted child lives with you or is one of our residents.
- Resources and guidance on navigating all aspects of adoption challenges.
- Transitional placement program for adopted children.
Our transitional placement program offers many adopted children a “home away from home” that relieves the pressure on them to bond with their adoptive family, provides a refreshing change of scenery on our beautiful campus, and helps them gain a sense of agency in shaping the trajectory of their own lives.
Along with these benefits, short-term placement in our home often leads to an improvement in the child’s behavior and their relationship with their adopted family, to whom they can return when they’re ready.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog on adoption reversal. If you have any questions or need support for challenges relating to adoption, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We know that some people may also be reading this who don’t have significant struggles with parenting adopted children, but they want to help. If this sounds like you, we encourage you to donate to our home. Each donation makes a noteworthy impact because every penny goes directly to supporting the lives and well-being of children on our campus and helping families in our community facing these challenges.