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CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

Being a parent is a life-changing experience. Raising a child is full of

wonders. It is about commitment in the long term and here and now, it is

usually an important moment in life. Biological parenting works for many

people, while, adoption is another option for making parenthood dreams a

reality. The reasons of adoption can vary widely, depending on individual’s

situations.

Adoption is one of the most captivating topics to have attracted our

attention as researchers. It represents a remarkable relationship between the

legal definition and effects of an adoption order the way in which adopters and

their children develop bonds of love and attachment through the everyday

social construction of family life (Logan & Smith 2013). Adoption involves the

placement of a child whose either biological parents are unable or unwilling to

raise a child. Adoption carries developmental opportunities and risks. Many

adoptees have remarkably good outcomes, but some subgroups have

difficulties (Nickman, Rosenfeld, Fine, MacIntyre, Pilowsky, Howe & Sveda,

2005).

There is a generalized view that the number of adoptions is high and

increasing worldwide. The United Nations Population Division (2009) estimate

that some 260,000 children are adopted each year. This estimate implies that

fewer than 12 children are adopted for every 100,000 person under age 18.

Adoption remains, therefore, a relatively rare event.

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Besides, there has been a 3-fold increase in international adoptions in

the United States, combined with a shift in pre-adoption living arrangements

from predominantly foster to institutional care (Johnson, 2000). Nearly 23,000

children were adopted internationally in the U.S. in 2003 and it is estimated

that perhaps as many as 85% of these children had spent some time in an

institutional setting prior to adoption, including hospitals, baby homes, and

orphanages (Johnson, 2000). According to Brodzinsky and Palacios (2005),

most of the families in the United States adopted 20,000 children from foreign

countries. Many of these children, especially those adopted from institutional

settings, experienced conditions hazardous to healthy physical, cognitive, and

emotional development (Brodzinsky and Palacios, 2005).

In the Philippines, most orphaned or abandoned Filipino children who

are put up for adoption remain in social welfare institutions. This year alone,

nearly 500 children were declared legally available for adoption. But only 62

were adopted by Filipino families, according to the DSWD. From January to

November 15 of 2012, the DSWD issued certificates for 457 children

declaring them legally available for adoption. (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2012)

As of 2011, the Department of Social welfare and Development Region

XI has 60 children under their care. It was said that they were able to place

out 12 children for adoption in 2010. Politicians as well adopt a child like our

city Vice Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte-Carpio. “The life of a child would greatly

improve because you are there. Your life would also be improved for taking

care of the child”, she stated. She said that adoption is the same concept as

to bearing one's own child, because one can't choose a child.

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Adoption like any type of parenthood may have issues that arise at

point. It could be a super joy but it’s not all perfect, it could be a sizable

amount of stress. The post-adoption adjustment of parents continues to be

great of concern, promoting the strengths and parents with adopted children

are at risk for stress and burnout (Reynolds, 2005). Stress of adoptive parents

is an issue of concern because of its potential to impact the ability of the

parent to be responsive to the needs of the children. An understanding of risk

and resilience can help us identify early those parents who are vulnerable to

problems. In the light of this, we the researchers would like to investigate the

adoption related issues that arise long after the adoption.

Purpose of the study

Adoption is a lifelong commitment. Most studies of adoption focus on

the adopted child and his/her adjustment to the new family. Our study sought

to highlight some of the difficulties experienced by the adoptive parents, and

how the adoption process impacts on previous or ongoing emotional

difficulties experienced during different periods of life. There are more

similarities than differences between raising an adopted child and raising a

birth child. It is vital that adoptive parents know how to handle the issues that

are a part of every adoption.

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Research Questions

This study aimed to investigate the adoptive parent’s perspectives at

risk factors or resiliency. Specifically, this is intended to answer the following

questions:

1. What are the reasons of parent why they adopt a child?

2. What are the challenges they encounter during post-adoption?

3. What are the benefits of adopting a child?

Review of Related Literature

This section presents survey of related literature and writing of

recognized experts, both of which have significant bearing or relation to the

problem under investigation.

Although pregnancy and childbirth are a time of happiness and joy for

many families, the sudden change in the pattern of their lives places new

parents at risk of developing emotional disorders. Adoption has become an

acceptable avenue to establishing a family. One study reported that 1 of every

40 children under 18 years in the United States is adopted (Kreider, 2003).

Except for the pregnancy itself, adoptive parents undergo the same difficulties

in the transition to parenthood as biological parents (Senecky, Agassi, Inbar,

Horesh, Diamond, Bergman, & Apter, 2009).

Adoption represents the opportunity for a child to be united with a

family for the benefit and best interests of that child. Adoption is, first and

foremost, about children, their future, and the future of our civilization; it is not

about adults. (Kohm, 2003). But we also need to consider those of the

parents. Adoptive families provide a critical case for evaluating the importance
 5

of oft-assumed biological ties between parents and children. The benefits of

adoption accrue to the adopted and to society at large. The psychic benefit to

the adopted of having a permanent family is, of course, inestimable. It may

instead indicate that adoptive parents demand more mental health services

than other parents, perhaps because of the fact of adoption, but also because

they are primed to expect problems (Hansen, 2008). A successful adoption

presupposes that the adopted child will gradually, and yet in a timely manner,

develop a secure attachment with his or her new family. Most children are, in

fact, able to form such bonds and the resulting attachment becomes the

foundation for both their integration into the family and for their ongoing

psychological development. Risks may be found in adoptees’ genetic,

prenatal, or preadoptive background. For many adopted children, adoption

involves a drastic change of environment, and this change may be an

effective intervention that improves their cognitive development (Van

Ijzendoorn, Juffer, Poelhuis, 2005).

Van Gulden & Vick (2005) mentioned that those adoptive children who

were deprived of positive parenting have varying degrees of impairment in

their ability to self-regulate, their past experience with abuse or neglect may

negatively impact their ability to trust that their adoptive parents are going to

provide for their needs within a safe and nurturing relationship. The children’s

behavior in their adoptive families was characterized by lack of affection and

an overall inability of the parents to effectively deal with their difficult children.

Many of the parents expressed doubts about their ability to maintain the child

as a part of their family if attachment therapy did not provide some

improvement in their relationship with their child (Wimmer, Vonk, & Bordnick,
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2009). Adopted children’s emotional and behavioral problems bear directly on

the functioning of the adoptive family. The stress created by children’s special

needs may exceed parents’ perceived and actual capacities to address such

needs (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004). This increased stress may alter the

adoptive parent-child relationship and initiate a downward spiral that poses

increased risk of adoption disruption (Crea, Barth, Guo, & Brooks, 2008).

A recent review by the National Academy of Science (Committee on

Family and Work Policies, 2003) reported six studies as finding relations

between process quality and children’s behavior in the child care setting, and

six studies as finding relations between structural/caregiver characteristics

and child behavior in the child care setting. Finding shows that: children

appeared happier and more securely attached to caregivers in care settings in

which process quality was higher and adult-child ratios were lower, children

appeared more prosocial and positively engaged with peers when caregivers

were sensitive and positive to them and when child-adult ratios were lower,

children were rated as more cognitively competent during free play in child

care settings that offered more opportunities for art, blocks, and dramatic play,

and in settings in which caregivers had college degrees and more early

childhood training (Vandell, 2004). In our postindustrial society, optimal family

size is no longer a key to survival. Assuming our psychology is the product of

strategies that “paid off” in the past, adopting unrelated children seems

maladaptive. When people cannot have children biologically, adoption gives

them a way to fulfill the “drive” to parent, maladaptive or not. Once they do

adopt, parents treat their children as they would “their own” (Gibson, 2009). A

research conducted by Libscombe, Moyers, and Farmer (2004) in their work

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with foster parents found that parenting ability is greatly reduced when

parents found themselves under considerable stress. Their study showed that

parents experiencing strain showed a decrease liking of the child and

increased “disciplinary indulgence” (p. 355) as manifested by an inability to

provide consistent appropriate limits. In addition, those parents experiencing

increased strain showed a change in their level of aggression towards the

child in their care in the form of increased aggression or withdrawing

behaviors.

Previous studies that have examined in foster children have found that

some children do become securely attached to their foster parents. It was also

found that in as little as 2 months, attachment relationships between young

foster children and their foster mothers had formed. Young foster children

share experiences with their foster mothers on a daily basis and these shared

experiences become the basis of the child’s and the foster mother’s

expectations of each other (Ponciano, 2010).According to the study

conducted by McKay, Ross, and Goldberg (2010), it appeared to indicate that

post-adoption depression is relatively common, although perhaps less so than

depression among biological parents. It is difficult to draw conclusions about

physical health and relationship satisfaction as only one study directly

assessing each outcome was located. Another research by Senecky, Agassi,

Inbar, Horesh, Diamond, Bergman, Apter, and Elsevier (2009) stated that,

symptoms of depression were found in 15.4% of the study group. This rate

was similar to that for postpartum depression in the general population, and

lower than the rate recorded in the study group before adoption (25.6%). All

women with symptoms of depression after the adoption had also shown
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evidence of depressive features before the adoption. Similar findings were

noted for other psychopathologies as well. Adopting a child does not cause

new-onset, reactive depression among adoptive mothers. It may even lead to

a decrease in depressive features, perhaps in response to relief from other

adjustment difficulties.

To facilitate the ability of such children to become a part of families,

adoption professionals need to understand and develop specialized programs

for them. The behaviors and needs of children with attachment problems

challenge the professionals responsible for them. When children with

attachment problems do not begin to show any reciprocal interest in the

family, parents begin to blame themselves and question their decisions and

parenting capacities. After a time, they blame their children and come to

believe that they are wanted by their children only for what they will provide at

a particular moment. They despair that their children will ever want a positive,

reciprocal, parent-child bond, a despair grounded on the realities of

attachment problems. The adoptive parents may not have engaged in good

parenting because of factors that have nothing to do with the child: there may

have been a poor match between the child and family; or the child may have

manifested disruptive testing behaviors during the initial months of the

placement that may reflect anxiety about forming an attachment rather than

problems forming an attachment (Van Ijzendoorn, Juffer, Poelhuis, 2005).

Theoretical Lens

Attachment is so familiar to most of us so basic to social life that we

may rarely perceive it to be an option, perhaps, attachment is best understood

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in emotional terms when it is interrupted, as we experience distress (Shreeve,

2011). 

Jim Walker (2008) explores the relevance of attachment theory to

fostering and adoption. He begins by focusing on three important qualities for

substitute careers: the ability to manage a wide range of feelings, both in

oneself and in others; the resolution of past losses and traumas; and the

acquisition of reflective function. Emphasis is then paid to gaining an

understanding of the attachment patterns of both children and potential

substitute careers. Current ideas from attachment theory can help to inform

both the selection of substitute careers and the needs and vulnerabilities of

looked after children. 

Attachment theory holds that “attachment is bidirectional and involves

characteristics of both parents and children” (Schweiger & O’Brien, 2005 p.

514). “Attachment is built on stable, reliable, consistent, safe, secure,

comfortable, valuing, joyous and loving care” (van Gulden & Vick, 2005, p. 9).

Children with attachment issues may react with anger towards their parents’

attempts to engage emotionally with them. Failure of the parent to respond

counter intuitively in the face of this behavior can place the parent-child

relationship at risk (Morrison, 2012).

Significance of the study

The primary purpose of this study is to provide the parents of the risk

factors and resiliency on post-adoption. This study is significant because it will

provide the indispensable facts about the existing behaviors among adoptive
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parents. Thus, the results of this study will benefit the following persons or

entities.

Adoptive Parents. This provides a framework to assess and identify

barriers within themselves and strategies they could devise in order to cope

with their present situation.

Government Organizations. This study will give them information

about the post-adoption on adoptive parents. This will also help them revisit

policies pertaining to the existing laws.

Future Researchers. This could provide a baseline data for future

researchers who will be conducting almost the same kind of topic. Also, future

researchers will benefit from this study, and it will provide them the facts

needed to compare their study. The study can also open in development of

this study.

Scope and Delimitation

The scope of our study is among adoptive parents situated in Davao

City. The study was conducted to determine the risk and resilience and the

challenges they encounter during post-adoption. The study does not cover

any of the effects on the child during adoption. Evidence about human

experience has inherent limitations compared with data about human

behavior. Because experience is not directly observable, data about it depend

on the participants’ ability to reflectively discern aspects of their own

experience and to effectively communicate what they discern through the

symbols of language (Polkinghorne, 2005).

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Definition Terms

For clearer understanding of the terms used in this study, below are

their meanings:

Risk factors. When adopting, it is important to realize that there are

many factors involved in the adoption other than the desire of adoptive

parents to have a child. Adoption at best is a time-consuming, complex

process that results in a loving, stable family for the adopted child, but in

some cases the adoption process can cause considerable stress, strain, and

worry when the situation is less than perfect or problems arise.

Resilience. Resiliency is the set of characteristics that gives us

strength "to confront the overwhelming obstacles of life." (Sagor, 1996). In the

study it is the parents who can cope with the stresses of everyday life, as well

an occasional crisis, have resilience; they have the flexibility and inner

strength necessary to bounce back when things are not going well.

Adoptive Parents. A person who adopts a child of other parents as his

or her own child. A person who completes all the requirements to legally

adopt a child who is not his or her biological child. Generally, any single or

married adult whom the court determines to be a "fit parent" may adopt a

child. An adoptive parent has all the responsibilities of a biological parent. We

recognize that the process of adoption does not stop once the matching has

taken place and the legal process is completed it is during post-adoption,

where particular issues which an adoptive family faces mostly arises.

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CHAPTER 2

Methodology

This chapter describes the research design, research participants,

research instrument, data gathering, role of the researcher, trustworthiness of

the study, ethical consideration as well as data analysis that will be used in

the study.

Research Design

This study used descriptive research design using qualitative and

multiple case method to assess the adoptive parents perspectives if it’s either

at risk or resilient. This type of case study is used to describe an intervention

or phenomenon and the real-life context in which it occurred (Yin, 2003). Flick,

Kardoff & Steinke (2004) defines qualitative research as lifeworlds ‘from the

inside out’, from the point of view of the people who participate. By so doing it

seeks to contribute to a better understanding of social realities and to draw

attention to processes, meaning patterns and structural features. Qualitative

research, with its precise and ‘thick’ descriptions, does not simply depict

reality, nor does it practice exoticism for its own sake. It rather makes use of

the unusual or the deviant and unexpected as a source of insight and a mirror

whose reflection makes the unknown perceptible in the known, and the known

perceptible in the unknown, thereby opening up further possibilities for (self-)

recognition. A primary purpose of qualitative research was to describe and

clarify experience as it was lived and constituted in awareness. Human

experience is a difficult area to study. Qualitative methods are specifically

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constructed to take account of the particular characteristics of human

experience and to facilitate the investigation of experience (Polkinghorne,

2005). A multiple case study was used to explore differences within and

between cases. The goal was to replicate findings across cases. Because

comparisons will be drawn, it was imperative that the cases are chosen

carefully so that the researcher can predict similar results across cases, or

predict contrasting results based on a theory (Yin, 2003).

Research Participants

Conducting a qualitative research requires a random or representative

selection of data sources from a population. This research focused on the

adoptive parents’ perspectives if it’s at risk or resilient. A sample of five foster

parents will be selected through random sampling which gives each member

of the population an equal chance of being chosen. An interview schedule will

be framed for data collection. The respondents was contacted by home visits

to elicit the required information. Each participant was informed on the nature

of the study as well as the manner of its conduct.

Research Instrument

The most widely used approach to the production of qualitative data is

interviews with participants. The respondents was interviewed using the

researcher’s made interview guide questions which was based on the

research questions since the study is a qualitative form. The purpose of the

interview is to gain a full and detailed account from an informant of the

experience under study. Open ended types of questions was constructed in

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order for the respondents to fully answer the questions and describe their

challenges during the post adoption including their benefits. Permission was

sought from the respondents.

Conduct of Interview

All qualified adoptive families were initially contacted with a letter or

email from the director of their cooperating adoption agency (Department Of

Social Welfare and Development) that described the study and invited

participation. Telephone calls followed the letters or e-mails for those families

who adopted through the primary cooperating agency. These calls were made

by a researcher and provided an opportunity for the researcher to describe

the study further and to request participation. Due to concerns about

confidentiality, telephone numbers of families recruited from cooperating

agency could not be revealed. After families agreed to take part, the

researcher scheduled a two-hour home visit. Participation was entirely

voluntary and the researcher gotten written consent from all participating

subjects. Following participation, a researcher debriefed families about the

general and specific aims of the study. Participants’ questions were answered

and each family was recognized for their participation.

Role of the Researchers

In this study, we played the role of the observer, interviewer and

transcriber in gathering data. In order to attain our certain goal, we need to be

fairly independent and ask for help when it is required rather than expect the

supervisor to infer as cited in Monash University Thesis Writing (2007). As BS

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psychology students we do also provide a thorough understanding of the

experiences of our own participants.

Trustworthiness of the study

Designing and implementing a case study project, there are several

basic key elements to the study design that can be integrated to enhance

overall study quality or trustworthiness (Baxter, & Jack 2008). Researchers

using this method will want to ensure enough detail is provided so that

readers can assess the validity or credibility of the work. We ensure that: (a)

the case study research question is clearly written, propositions are provided,

and the question is substantiated; (b) case study design is appropriate for the

research question; (c) purposeful sampling strategies appropriate for case

study have been applied; (d) data are collected and managed systematically;

and (e) the data are analyzed correctly (Russell, Gregory, Ploeg, DiCenso, &

Guyatt, 2005). As data are collected and analyzed, researchers integrates a

process of member checking, where the researchers’ interpretations of the

data are shared with the participants, and the participants have the

opportunity to discuss and clarify the interpretation, and contribute new or

additional perspectives on the issue under study.

Credibility, according to Lincoln and Guba (1985) referred to the

conscious effort to established confidence in an accurate interpretation of the

meaning of the data or the context in a believable way.

We addressed credibility in this study through building and ensuring

that our research interview questions were validated. In particular, interview

questions to be validated by pool of experts. Likewise, we returned the

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transcripts to the participants to affirm the veracity of the information we

gathered.

Transferability is the degree to which the findings if this inquiry can

apply or transfer beyond the bounds of the project (Lincoln and Guba, 1985).

In this study, transferability was established through the audit trial. In

fact, all our transcripts as well as the documents were kept. Likewise, we

ensured that all transcripts were properly coded for easy transferability of

information.

Dependability deals with the core issue that the way in which a study

was conducted consistent across time (Gasson, 2004).

In this study, this was addressed through ensuring that the data

gathered through interview was reviewed and validated by pool of experts for

the other researchers’ bases in their studies. Likewise, we consulted varied

sources of literatures to support our discussion.

Conformability research represented the situation being researched

(Gasson, 2004). This was addressed through presenting transcripts to the

participants after the conducted interview and let them signed for verification.

Ethical Consideration

As this study utilized human participants and investigated on their

perspectives on parents on risk and resiliency, certain issues were addressed.

The consideration of these issues is necessary for the purpose of ensuring

the privacy as well as the security of the participants. These issues were

identified in advance so as prevent future problems that could have risen

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during the research process. Among the significant issues that were

considered included consent, confidentiality and data protection.

 In the research, the survey forms and interview methods were drafted

in a very clear and brief manner to prevent conflicts among

respondents.  People who participated in the research were given a sufficient

time to respond to the questions posed on them to avoid errors and

erroneousness in their answers. The respondents were given a waiver

regarding the confidentiality of their identity and the information that they did

not wish to reveal. The respondents' cooperation was eagerly sought after,

and they were assured that the data gathered from them would be treated

with the strictest confidence, so that they would be more open. This was done

with the hope that this would promote trust between the researcher and the

respondents.

Data Analysis

The research, as qualitative in nature will be using interview and survey

questionnaires to gather data. The evidence is in the form of accounts people

have given of the experience. The researcher analyzes the evidence to

produce a core description of the experience. The data serve as the ground

on which the findings are based. The evidence takes the form of written texts.

Written evidence is gathered from documents, and data originally generated

in oral form (e.g., through interviews) are transformed into written texts

through transcription (Polkinghorne, 2005).

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CHAPTER 3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presented the results and interpretation of the data

gathered from the respondent based on their experiences. It shed light on the

answers to the questions the researchers have sought to answer in the first

chapter, based on the methods consistent to data analysis to ensure the

validity and reliability of the data.

Reasons of Adoption

Child adoption can be one of the most rewarding aspects of life for the

couple and the child. It’s really wonderful and amazing to open your heart and

home to a child that did not came from your womb, but you're willing to love

and nurture her just the same. Many moms are grateful for the opportunity

they've had to adopt, especially when it saved a child from a physical or

emotionally dangerous situation. There are many children out there who are in

need of a good home, and there are many reasons why child adoption may be

right thing to do. One of those many reasons are they cannot bear a child due

to infertility, some wanted to help out a friend or a relative and others just

wanted to rescue a child (Craft 2014)

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P1 has been married for almost 24 years. P1 is already 35 years old

and her husband is already 37 years of age. P1 stays and try to see that all of

the family members are doing well. Her husband who is busy working as an

employee in a private company also tries to sustain the needs of his family.

They both lived a happy life. When remembering the day that their adopted

child had gone in their arms the happiness in their face is remarkable.

The child was already 10 years old when they adopted her. She was all

alone and don’t have a family. They thought of having her to help her lead the

way to a brighter future. She stated,

She was already an orphan, I adopted her because

she might follow the dark side of life and I want to
help her find the right path. (P1Q1)

They thought it was the right decision for her and her husband. When

asked if she has any child aside from she adopted, she told,

We have no child at that moment. (P1PQ2A2)

But, as time pass by she told that they were blessed with another child.

She did not kept secrets with the adopted also because she was already ten

years old at the time of adoption and the child already knew everything.

P2 has been thinking for adoption even when she was small. When the

time of her marriage life came she was so joyful and thought of planning to

make adoption a reality. They’ve been married for three years when they

finally pursue on adopting a child. P2 is already 29 years old, and her

husband is 32 years old. They told,

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Muragang adoption ang nakakita sa amo. Masking

tong gamay pa lang ko gusto najud ko mangadopt.
Pirmi nako n iginasulti sa akong mama. Pati pud tong
unang date namo sa akong bana. Wala ko
naghunahuna na dili me makaanak pero sa sugod
palang jud gusto najud nako mangadopt. Ug nagatuo
ko na plano pud ni sa Ginoo sa ako. (P2Q1)

They thought it was the right decision for them and said that,

Para sa akong bana ug akoa our feeling was right.

Tapos nakadawat mi ug tawag na nay batan-on na
buntis ug gusto niya na ipa-adopt daw ang bata.
Gitawagan dayon nako akong bana, pag-uli niya we
prayed for it and nangutana ko kaniya kung amo ba
jud dayonon. Pag-agree sa akong bana gilihok dayon
namo ang tanan na papeles na kinahanglanon para
madala na namo ang bata. (P2PQ1A1)

Their little boy was their first child and they have never told him

everything as of the moment.

P3 is now on his old age as well as his wife. Years ago, her wife went

abroad to work and as of the moment she now resigned from her previous

employment. Her wife had to stop working because even though she’s

working abroad the salary is not that big to sustain the family’s need. So, she

decided to stay and be with her family and help her husband with their

business in Talomo, Salakut, Davao City, also the place where they stayed.

They gotten the child because,

Tungod kay pagumangkon man sa akong misis,

nisugot ko na ampunon namo ang bata kay wala man
pud ikasuporta ang mama niya. (P3A1)
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They did not have any intention of really adopting a child but this child

touches their heart and they’ve come to decide that they will raise the child

and give her the things she need. As P3 stated,

Wala man gyud me nag plano na mag adopt, bale

gitabangan lang namu ang pagumangkon sa ako
misis kay wala siyay ikabuhi sa bata. (P3PQ1A1)

All they thought was that it was the right to do for the child and to help

the child’s family as well. P3 already have kids when they got the child as he

said,

Oo naa nami mga anak daan pero dili ampon.

(P3PQ2A2)

The attachment between his children has not changed and they love to

stay with the child and love to play and cuddle with her. Even for a fact that

she knows the truth. P3 told that,

Kbalo si Janice na adopted siya, sa pagkakaron nag

skwela paman siya ug college dili sa siya mobuhi diri.
(P3PQ3A3)

And that,

Siguro makwaan ang lingaw sa balay. (P3PQ4A4)

P4 are situated in Buhangin, Davao City. They’ve been married for 5

years until they’ve come to a decision to decide. They, also, are like any

couple who chose to adopt because of infertility. P4 is now 46 years old and

her husband is 50 years old. Also, they adopted because,

Nag ampon me aron dili ko laayon ug ako ra usa sa

balay kay toa man sa abroad akong bana. (P4A4)
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Adoption could be a solution to every infertile couple, as P4 sated,

Sugod atong na disgrasya akong bana. Naisip niya
unsaon nalang daw ug ako nalang, kinsa mag atiman
sa akoa ug matigulang nako, Wala daw muagapay sa
ako. (P4PQ1A1)

Not all couples are blessed with children just like the case of P5.

Infertility is a big issue for couples like them. But, this is not a hindrance in

building a family. They decided to adopt a child. They got the child when she

was only one day old. P5 is now already on her 50’s as well as her husband.

The child is also not getting any younger; she is now 22 years old. P5’s

husband is abroad working for their family and P5 stays at home and do all

the managing with their children. They’ve chose to adopt merely because,

Kay sa nadugay na namo magtiayon ug murag

mingaw napud amo pamuyo. Mao niabot jud sa point
na nag adopt me ug bata. (P5A1)

And because,

Katong mga panahon na murag gikapoy name na

kami lang duha murag na fulfill naman gud namo
tanan, naka bonding nami ug dugay isip mag asawa.
(P5PQ1A1)

But, blessing do come for no reason, she stated that,

Pagkaabot ug upat katuig gikan sa amo pag adopt,

gitagaan me sa Ginoo ug isa ka bata. (P5PQ2A2)

Prior to this study P1, P2, and P3 said that, they decided to

adopt a child because they don’t want their children to have a miserable lives.

They just want to help their children to find the right path while P4 and P5
 23

adopted a child because they really need it since they really can’t bear a child

on their own due to infertility.

Challenges in Adoption

(Unknown, 2014) explained to us that the first challenges in adoption

was surviving the process. Second, you have to adjust to the new parenting

situation. Lastly is telling the child that they are adopted.

Not all things come in your way smoothly, there may be issues

that arises out of the blue. P1 says,

The adoption process itself is hard but it’s worth

taking. (P1Q2)

She further revealed that,

We’ve made many adjustments especially our time.

(P1PQ5A5)
Also,

During the process it was not difficult because the

child was old enough to understand the situation.
(P1PQ7A7)

It’s not all hard there maybe times that it’s rough but there are trying to

fit in the situation. They also won’t keep secrets to child and they are open to

the possibility that one day she may found her biological parents.

P2 says that,

Decision making, lisud mag-commit sa mga butang

ug sitwasyon ilabina ang pagpangadopt kay lifelong
commitment man gud ni. (P2A2)
 24

P3 and P5 had undergone the same kind of situation. They both said

that,

Wala man kanang mga normal ragud na butang, mga

kasagaran na sakit parehas anang kalintura. (P3A2)
Kasagaran kana ra man naa siya bation. Ug kanang
lahi-lahi iyang tulog mapulaw jud mi pirmi sa akong
bana pero ginapagpasensiyahan namo kay gamay pa
man pud. (P3PQ5A5)

P4 had a hard time trying to decide to adopt because her family had

been rejecting her decisions. There has been conflict with it, she stated that,

Daghan nagtutol sa nahimo namo na desisyon. Dili

mosugot ang akong paryente kay muabot daw ang
panahon na biyaan gihapon ko sa bata. (P4A2)

On this study we could not find the challenges because they legally

adopt a child since birth and it’s not hard for them to tell their child that they

are adopted.

Benefits in Adoption

Adoption benefits the couple specially those person who are infertile,

they choses adoption because it signifies the end of their struggles with

infertility. It signifies that they are ready and will soon become a mom and

dad. It is also benefits the couple because they now have a child to share

their lives with, to teach right from wrong, and to carry on their name. The

child gives the parents a reason to wake up in the morning and to go to bed at

night. Everything truly revolves around the child, and the parents often wonder

why they waited so long to choose adoption (Anonymous, 2014)

 25

Not everyone is blessed with a child, there are that couples who

are infertile and cannot bear their own child. With this, some couple comes to

a point that adoption could be the solution to their problem. As P4 and P5

states that,

Mao to mas nagging hugot amo relasyon isip mag

asawa. (P4A3)

Nakahatag jud siya ug kalipay namo.(P5A3)

P1, P2, and P3 said that,

It inspires us and being contented that we helped

someone. (P1A3)
Nakatabang jud kini, sa una matagal kami umuuwi ug
dugay pud mi nagatulog. We do most of our time
shopping. Karon parang may-way na ang lahat we all
have the reasons na umuwi ng maaga. (P2A3)
Wala man gyud niabot sa amo hunahuna na mag
ampon me sa ako asawa ug bata naluoy lang gyud
me ani ni Janice kay ang mama niya pina-angkan ug
bata sad kaayo. Kay naa naman siya sa amo puder
sukad pagkabata, wala man pud nuon me niya
gitagaan ug problema. (P3A3)

We found out, that they were all contented and happy with the

decisions they’ve made. It was hard at first for them to take care of the child

because some of them are first timers in having a child.

 26

CHAPTER 4

CONCLUSIONS

This chapter presented the conclusion, recommendations, and

implication for practice based on the results and interpretation of the data

gathered from the respondents’ experiences.

Conclusion

It is crucial to the adoptive parents the discussions they have with their

children, the relationship that develops between them and how the child

processes the experience of adoption. No matter what age the child is when

adopted or whether they knew their biological parents or not affects the family.

Most adoptive parents in the study were able to have their degree in

college, working professionally, financially stable, and have long-term

relationships with committed partners. This may infer, at least in part, why little

has been found on parenting stress in our sample among adoptive parents.

Moreover, most of the parents in the sample have informed that they were

highly satisfied and adjustments were not difficult in their relationship. The

adoptive parents also provide more for the adopted child because they

believe they need it.

On the other hand, those children who struggle to be connected with

their adoptive parents mostly encounter ongoing and intense challenges.

However, based on our results, issues do come in any time and at some

point, but dealing with it accordingly could mitigate the said matters. Often,
 27

other parents have greater patience and understanding in raising a child and

are best in supporting and guiding them. Most interviewed parents have

described themselves as using generally effective parenting techniques.

Implication of the Study

Parenting could be the most rewarding and fulfilling thing that could

ever happen to a couple or even as an individual. But we cannot guarantee

that everything will fall under our control. Family is really an important thing in

the world that no one could ever replace. After doing some evaluations, we’ve

come to decide on doing a research on adoptive parents, as we also are

parents as well. It could be easy on our part to talk to someone who had been

long waiting to have a child to care, nurture and love.

As we undergo this study we’ve come up to a realization that adopting

a child is not that easy. It is the parents’ obligations and responsibilities to give

care and education to the child. Based on the experiences of our

respondents, though money is of great value, they set aside all this things and

told that this is the most priceless treasure they could ever have.

As students studying on behavioral aspects of an individual it is of

great interest to study those parents whom have gain a child not biologically

related to them. What if problems may arise, what would they do? Dealing

with a biological family is very different at times when problems arises. But

through our research we’ve gain insights that if you put your heart into and

you really love what you are nothing really is impossible, everything could

happen. In addition, this study may give understanding and knowledge to

 28

people with adopted children and also in relation to range of other adoption-

related areas. Furthermore, we future psychologist should learn to recognize

that the relationship with the parents and the child or having the family ties are

for life, it could be of great relevance and can have lasting effects.

Recommendations for Further Researchers

Based on the conclusion drawn, the following recommendations are

offered:

Adoptive Mother. This provides a framework to assess and identify

barriers within themselves and strategies they could devise in order to cope

with their present situation.

Government Organizations. This study will give them information

about the post-adoption on adoptive parents. This will also help them revisit

policies pertaining to the existing laws.

Future Researchers. This could provide a baseline data for future

researchers who will be conducting almost the same kind of topic. Also, future

researchers will benefit from this study, and it will provide them the facts

needed to compare their study. The study can also open in development of

this study. In the course of this project, the researchers identified various

areas where further research was needed, or a more comprehensive review

of the documents developed for this study. Such topics are: Intimate

Relationship Between the Adoptee and Biological Child with Different Sexes;

Risk Factors in Illegally Adopted Children; Factors in Adopting an Adult Child

 29

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