One of the things we know for certain is that there are no guarantees in life. When biological parents give birth to their children, there are no guarantees of what life will be like for the child or for the family. The same applies to adopted children. Adoptive parents go into adoption expecting a positive and happy outcome. Much of the time that is exactly what they get. Sometimes it is not. Adoption plans can fall apart for many reasons. When an adoption is not yet finalized and it is determined that the parents are not going to move forward with their plans to adopt it is called a disruption. When adoptive parents make the decision to place a child in the custody of a state child welfare agency after an adoption has been finalized it is called a dissolution. Both circumstances can be heartbreaking but necessary. Both decisions are typically not made lightly and can have a lasting impact on the child and the parents.

Prospective adoptive parents who are worried about the possibility of adoption disrupton or dissolution should know that the majority of adoptions do not disrupt or dissolve. The statistic that I located here indicates that more than 80% of adoptions do not disrupt prior to finalization and after finalization more than 98% remain intact. Those are very encouraging numbers and should allay the concerns of anyone who may be feeling anxious about adoption because of the fears of potential disruption or dissolution. Another common fear is whether or not the adoption will be contested as has been seen in some high profile cases. According to the statistics I located, less than .1% of adoptions are contested each year. In other words, while a contested adoption is within the realm of possibility it is highly unlikely.

Unfortunately, the rate of disruption of adoption increases as the age of the child at the time of placement increases. Typically, the older the child the more challenging it is to establish a secure attachment with the adoptive parent and the bonding experience can be less than optimal. The consequence of this reality is that it significantly diminishes the liklihood that older children will adopted. Still, that doesn't have to be the story of every older adopted child. My personal experience with my daughters, who were 3 and 4 years old, has been nothing but positive. It could have been very challenging for a number of reasons but that has not turned out to be the case.

If you are faced with possibility of disruption or dissolution then it is critical that you seek out the proper resources to assist you with the process. Nancy Spoolstra writes the Reactive Attachment Disorder Blog for Adoptionblogs.com. She is well informed on this topic and speaking with her could be one place to start your search for more information. She can be contacted by clicking on the link above. Remember: even though adoption disruption or dissolution can be heartbreaking, it is sometimes necessary. Don't hesitate to seek out support if you are faced with this possibility.