Early Adversity and Adoptive Solutions

A belief that early experience has profound influences on later development has been common for hundreds of years, reinforced in the middle of the last century by the early work of John Bowlby. Such views were rapidly transformed by research on the mainly good outcomes for children rescued from severe adversity. Ann and Alan Clarke have researched this field for more than 40 years and sample here some relevant research findings and their implications for current practice. Resilience is built into the human system, but requires a positive social context for its full expression. Adoption is the strongest form of intervention and its usually good outcome challenges other forms of care. Large differences in adoptive practices and a decline in the numbers adopted suggest that dated attitudes are partly responsible for the under-use of adoption.