Concepções de pretendentes à adoção sobre o processo adotivo e o desenvolvimento infantil

Abstract

Parental conceptions influence interactions between parents and children, which are important for child development. Therefore, the role of the family in promoting children’s development is emphasized, highlighting the role of adoptive families in this process.This study aims to analyze the conceptions of adoption applicants about the adoption process and child development. For this, fourteen applicants for adoption participated in this study, eight women and six men, whose ages varied between 32 and 50 years (M = 38). Twelve participants were included in the National Adoption System and two were in the process of Qualifying for Adoption. Only one of them requested unilateral adoption, while the others (n = 13) wished to adopt together with their spouse. They answered a socio-demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire about the profile of the desired child and a semi-structured interview. The profile desired by the candidates is up to two children aged five years or less, regardless of sex and race and with the possibility of having a disease that can be treated. The data were analyzed by using Bardin's Content Analysis (2011) and pointed out two axes of results: conceptions about adoption and conceptions about child development. In the first axis, the participants presented meanings, motivations, planning, expectations, difficulties, challenges and conceptions about late adoption. In the second thematic axis, the participants talk about genetic and environmental aspects that they believe to influence the child's development; aspects that they consider important to promote child development and about the support and information network, they mentioned the help of family, friends, professionals, in addition to information obtained in the literature and on the internet. Thus, it was possible to understand the conceptions of applicants for adoption about the adoptive process and child development, and use this information to assist in the development of more effective strategies for the orientation of postulants, parents and professionals.